solo travel

7 Songs to Empower You for a Solo Road Trip

by Ekua on January 8, 2011 · 7 comments in solo travel,songs for the road

One of my most awesome travel experiences in 2010 was an impromptu five day solo exploration of the Eastern Sierras at the end of the summer. If you have never taken a solo road trip, I highly recommend it. It’s an exhilarating expression of freedom and you can connect much more with your surroundings when you’re not tempted to chat. And of course, you can sing loudly to whatever music you like.

Like with 7 Songs by Women to Empower You for Your Journey, I perused my music collection to come up with a playlist of more unlikely travel song suggestions for a solo road trip. I wanted to steer clear of the obvious, so no Free Bird or Born to be Wild on this list. I’ve come up with seven songs about yearning, busting out, movement, and coming home to inspire you and to sing along with:

» Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (covered and reworked) by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Play this song when: You’re longing to take a road trip.

» Turn and Run by Alice Russell

Play this when: You’ve broken free and you’re leaving town.

» Gone Wanderin’ by Jackie Greene

Play this song when: You’re settling into the road.

» Feeling Good by Nina Simone

Play this song when: You’re absorbed in your beautiful natural surroundings.

» Everybody Ona Move by Michael Franti

Play this song when: You want a song to groove in your seat to; when you like your bass “loudy, loudy, louda..”

» This Land is Your Land (covered and reworked) by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

Play this song when: You’re seeing or experiencing a less than ideal reality of wherever you are.

» When the Night Feels My Song by Bedouin Soundclash

Play this song when: You’re on your way home.

What are your favorite road trip tunes? Feel free to suggest a song!

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Songs for the Road No. 7: Inspiration for Solo Travel

by Ekua on October 17, 2010 · 6 comments in female travel,solo travel,songs for the road

Traveling solo now feels normal to me, but there are those rare occasions when loneliness consumes me on the road. The day I arrived in Oaxaca which I wrote about in my previous entry is one example. I sometimes fight the solitude rather than reveling in it and understanding that it’s only temporary. Sometimes I forget about all the people I’ll meet and the observations I am able to make because of the openness and quietness being alone provides.

My friend shared this video with me yesterday about learning how to be alone and making the best of solitude. It mostly refers to one’s regular environment, but it can all apply to traveling solo as well. If I’d had this video when I arrived in Oaxaca, it would’ve been the perfect antidote to the way I felt then. Of course, time and a change of attitude had the same effect. But I’m sure it won’t be last time I feel that way on a trip, looking back at the comfort and fun times of a group rather than looking forward to possibilities that await. When those times come, hopefully I’ll remember some of the words in this video, especially the most simple ones at the beginning of it, “be patient.”

Maybe this poem doesn’t really qualify as a song, but it’s close enough and it’s a beautiful little video:

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Wanderful Words No. 22: A Map for Saturday

by Ekua on May 11, 2010 · 4 comments in backpacking,movies with movement,solo travel,wanderful words

Turistas. Hostel. The Beach. These are all examples of Hollywood’s poor representations of traveling with a budget and a backpack. So it was refreshing to finally watch A Map for Saturday, a documentary by Brook Silva-Braga that takes a realistic look into the world of long term solo backpacking.

While my month-or-sos away would not be considered long term by non-U.S. citizens who go away for longer, I found that I could relate to most of the content in the movie—the initial loneliness, learning how to meet people, settling into the coming and going, traveler’s guilt and what it’s like when you have to go home. Throughout the film, I felt like I was reliving many of the emotions I’ve had abroad.

There were moments where I thought the movie was a little vapid. I think this stemmed from my wanting there to be more of an underlying story or a unique angle. Something more edgy and captivating than following yet another advantaged young person on the road. But all in all,  it’s a solid backpacking documentary full of inspirational tidbits. I’d recommend it for any past or potential backpackers.

As the film began, a traveler being interviewed by Silva-Braga supplied this quote about one of the most profound transformations traveling lightly and cheaply can instigate:

“When you have everything on your back, material goods don’t mean as much as they used to. That’s something you take with you for the rest of your life.”

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