BONUS: How Traveling Alone Can Spark Self-Discovery

Summary

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BONUS: How Traveling Alone Can Spark Self-Discovery

Podcast: Therapy for Black Girls
Host: Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D. (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: October 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this bonus installment of the Therapy for Black Girls travel mini-series, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford discusses the transformative potential of solo travel. She explores the ways journeying alone can increase self-confidence, foster personal growth, and encourage deeper self-discovery—especially meaningful for Black women. Drawing on her own experiences and highlighting community resources, Dr. Joy offers supportive advice for those curious about or preparing for solo adventures.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Confidence-Building Power of Solo Travel

• Self-Discovery Through New Experiences:
  Dr. Joy opens by reflecting on how traveling to new places, especially alone, can challenge and stretch you in ways that reveal unknown parts of yourself.
  • “It pushes you out of your comfort zone, teaches you to trust your instincts, and allows you to truly answer the question, what do I want?” (00:16)
• Personal Story:
  She shares her first purely pleasure-driven solo trip to Miami and contrasts it with previous work-related solo travels.
• Regrets and Lessons:
  Dr. Joy expresses a rare regret—not studying abroad in undergrad—and notes how formative solo or study abroad experiences can be.
• Building Strength and Pride:
  She highlights the empowerment that comes from successfully handling solo travel challenges:
  • “It just makes you feel proud of yourself, especially if it feels like something that's really uncomfortable for you and you're like, I don't know, I wouldn't typically do this, but then you do it.” (03:02)

Navigating Safety and Community Concerns

• Safety & Belonging:
  Dr. Joy acknowledges the real concerns about safety and potential racism, especially for Black women traveling alone, whether domestically or internationally.
• Resource Recommendation:
  She notes online networks such as the Exodus Summit, a community by and for Black women considering moves or travel abroad, as invaluable for researching welcoming and safe destinations.
  • “There are no shortage of online resources...they have great resources for all the things that you can think about in terms of which countries feel okay to travel to.” (04:13)

Managing Anxiety: Starting Small, Finding Support

• Acknowledge the Anxiety:
  Many, Dr. Joy says, feel anxious about venturing out alone, even to local spots like movie theaters or restaurants.
• Small Steps:
  She encourages listeners to notice anxious thoughts but also to “push past that fear to give yourself a joyful experience” (05:25).
• Group Travel as a Stepping Stone:
  For those hesitant about full solo travel, she suggests organized group trips with strangers (Demetria Lucas’s and Christina Rice’s Om Noire retreats) as a way to gain confidence while building community.
  • “It is still kind of solo in that you're going by yourself, but you are also then going to be in community with other people who did something similar.” (06:05)

Preparation and Community Support

• Planning as Anxiety Management:
  Dr. Joy recommends researching activities and setting an itinerary to reduce uncertainty—though going with the flow is also valid for some.
• Online and Offline Communities:
  She highlights the supportive atmosphere in the Therapy for Black Girls Patreon community, where members swap solo travel tips and encouragement.
  • “I’ve just been very encouraged by the conversations I often see Black women having online in supporting each other through these things that we maybe want to try but maybe don’t feel like we have the nerve to do.” (07:19)
• Encouragement to Ask Questions:
  Dr. Joy urges listeners to tap into online spaces or real-life groups to seek advice, share plans, or help answer questions for other solo travel hopefuls.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Intentional Travel:
  “How often are we intentional about what we want to do and how we want to feel when we travel?” (01:03)

• On Self-Discovery:
  “It is in those moments, little pieces of yourself that you didn’t know existed are revealing themselves to you.” (02:46)

• On Facing Fears:
  “The anxiety can exist and you can also push past that fear to give yourself a joyful experience.” (05:28)

• On Community:
  “There is no shortage of ways to do this for yourself… find spaces online or in real life where you can ask questions. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid, but there’s also nothing wrong with getting the answers to your questions.” (07:48)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:16 – The transformative nature of solo travel
• 01:03 – Travel intention vs. mere destination-hopping
• 02:46 – Inner discoveries prompted by navigating solo
• 03:02 – The pride of overcoming discomfort
• 04:13 – Using Black women-led travel resources for safety
• 05:25 – Challenging anxiety about going alone
• 06:05 – Group travel with strangers as training wheels
• 07:19 – Black women uplifting each other to try new things
• 07:48 – Encouragement to engage with supportive communities

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Conclusion

Dr. Joy closes with gratitude for the community and tips, wishing seasoned and aspiring solo travelers restorative and eye-opening journeys. Whether you're a veteran or on the cusp of your first solo outing, her words champion intentionality, preparation, community, and above all, self-trust.

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For more stories, resources, and community discussions on solo travel and self-discovery, visit Therapy for Black Girls.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hey y', all, it's Dr. Joy, host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. Traveling and seeing new parts of the world can do a lot for your mental well being, but traveling alone can also reveal parts of yourself that you might not have known were in you. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, teaches you to trust your instincts, and allows you to truly answer the question, what do I want? In this final installment of our travel mini series, brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve, we're discussing how exploring the world solo can transform the way you see yourself.

[A]

So when I think about solo travel, I often think about our guest from session 288 of the podcast, Jessica Nabongo, who is the author of the beautiful book Catch Me if youf can and has traveled all around the world, who talked about setting intentions for travel. Because I think sometimes we think about travel and we're like, oh, okay, I can go to this place, I can go that place. But how often are we intentional about what we want to do and how we want to feel when we travel? I talked recently about my experience of going to Unrivaled in Miami for their inaugural season at the beginning of this year, and it was the first solo trip I had taken that was purely pleasure. Like, I often travel solo for speaking engagements and like work stuff. That was the first time I had actually traveled by myself purely for pleasure, for fun things. And so I think that solo travel is one of the best ways to actually increase confidence. It is why one of the only regrets I think I have about undergrad is that I did not study abroad. Because I think that study abroad and solo travel, especially when you are younger in your life, really sets you up for just seeing the world in a very different way and also being connected to yourself and your confidence in your strength in a very different way. And so I think that there are very few other ways that you can gain the kind of confidence you can, that you can do when you are traveling solo. And it doesn't have to be far right. Like, I just went to Miami, so it wasn't a huge trip. But. But I think any amount of time where you are navigating the world by yourself, especially if it's not something that you do, often really forces you to step out of your comfort zone. It forces you to maybe talk to strangers. It forces you to get comfortable maybe with getting lost or doing things that you wouldn't typically do. And I think that it is in those moments, little pieces of yourself that you didn't know existed are revealing themselves to you. I also think it just makes you feel proud of yourself, especially if it feels like something that's really uncomfortable for you and you're like, I don't know, I wouldn't typically do this, but then you do it. And so that really goes a long way, I think, in setting the groundwork for understanding and being clear about your ability to do hard things and that you are okay on the other side of it. And. And so I see solo travel as a. Just an excellent way for you to increase your confidence and to gain competency and trust in yourself. Now, I know especially when we're talking about traveling to other countries, but really, even in the country, there are lots of concerns about, like, safety, racism, and is this going to be a place where I am welcomed? Am I going to be okay in this place? And those are very valid concerns. There are no shortage of online resources. The Exodus Summit, which is a community founded by two women who have moved to other countries and also do an incredible job of helping other black women think about moving to other countries and planning to move to other countries. They have great resources for all the things that you can think about in terms of which countries feel okay to travel to. What do you need before you travel to this place? Like, just excellent resources, Because I think that that is something is important to be vigilant about. Right? Like, where are you going to go where you can have a joyful experience but also be safe? So the safety piece, I think, is one part of it. But I also think that many of us just get really, really anxious when we think about, I'm going to be by myself, like, in this place. Like, many of us struggle with doing things just like maybe even going to the movies by ourselves or like going to dinner by ourselves. So the idea that you would be traveling to a different state, a different country by yourself feels like a very far step. But I really want you to, you know, kind of challenge those anxious thoughts when they come up, because the anxiety can exist and you can also push past that fear to give yourself a joyful experience. And so one of the things that I think about, if you feel like, okay, I don't know that I'm quite ready for solo travel, but I want to do something is to participate in a group travel experience, but with people who you do not know. So Demetria Lucas, who is the host of the Ratchet and Respectable podcast, often organizes these trips where women will go and have a group experience together. Christina Rice also has a company called Om Noire, where she Hosts retreats across the world for women of color, but also helps others host retreats for different kinds of experiences. And so if you want to do solo travel but you feel like, I don't know if I'm quite ready to do, like, this thing by myself, I think that this is the next best experience is that it is still kind of solo in that you're going by yourself, but you are also then going to be in community with other people who did something similar. Right? Because I think that that is still a way for you to flex that confidence muscle, but maybe feel a little more supported in that you will be with other people who are also doing a similar kind of thing. And so you gain the confidence, but you might also then gain some community of other people who are looking for maybe some changes in their life or who have similar goals that could be helpful to you as you are continuing on this journey that we call life if you don't do a retreat experience or a group trip. I also think, though, that there are just typically lots and lots of information, lots of activities that you can look into for when you are visiting a place.

[B]

Right?

[A]

So I know a lot of us just do a lot of. We do a lot of research before we, like, do anything. And so I know that if you are planning a travel experience somewhere, you are also going to do research about, like, what kinds of classes exist. Are there different experiences that you want to take part in? Are there exhibits that you'd like to see? Like, I think that that also can help you to feel more confident about your travel itinerary when you actually have a plan for what you're going to do. Now, if you are just wanting to kind of go see a place and you are like more of a go with the flow kind of person, that is also totally fine. But I think having a bit of an itinerary is also helpful to manage some of the anxiety that may be coming up related to traveling somewhere by yourself. I also have been just very encouraged to see. So even in our Patreon community, we had a conversation recently about people traveling solo and like the tips and tricks that they have employed to kind of set themselves up to have good experiences, but also people who are consistent considering it and then asking questions of other people. And so I've just been very encouraged by the conversations I often see Black women having online in supporting each other through these things that we maybe want to try but maybe don't feel like we have the nerve to do that. And so I encourage you to do that. As well is to find spaces online or in real life where you can ask questions, right? Like there's nothing wrong with being afraid, but there's also nothing wrong with getting the answers to your questions. And so online spaces in real life, spaces where you can ask questions of people who have traveled solo. Like, what's a good first place to go? Do you want to try a cruise as your first solo experience? Like, there is no shortage of ways to do this for yourself. If this feels like something that would be really enjoyable to you, something joyful to you and something that you feel like would really help to build your confidence. And if you're listening to this and you are somebody who's been super adventurous and has tips and tricks to share with other wannabe or soon to be solo travelers, we would love to hear that. And likewise, if you're somebody who is thinking about taking your first solo experience, we want to hear what questions do you have and are there other people in our community who might be able to help answer that for you?

[B]

Thanks so much for tuning in for this conversation and a huge thank you to our partners at Chase Sapphire Reserve for sponsoring this miniseries all about traveling solo and centering joy. Whether you're a seasoned solo traveler or trying to build the confidence to do it for the first time, I hope our conversation left you with some helpful tips to navigate the experience. For those of you preparing to travel solo sometime in the near future, I'm wishing you a restorative, reflective and eye opening journey. Until next time, take good care.

[A]

Of.