The First Time I Traveled Solo After Becoming a Mom
How stepping away helped me come back to myself

I’ll never forget the first time I packed a bag just for me.

No diapers. No snacks for little hands. No itinerary planned around nap time.
Just me, my hiking boots, and a deep ache I couldn’t quite name.

At that point, I was several years into motherhood—five kids in a blended family, with a calendar that never seemed to stop spinning. Somewhere between shared custody schedules, school pickups, and always being “on,” I had slowly disappeared. Not physically—I was everywhere, doing everything—but emotionally, spiritually, I was running on autopilot.

I remember looking in the mirror one morning and thinking, Where did I go?

That’s what led me to book my first solo trip.
Nothing fancy. Just a long weekend exploring Vancouver Island’s wild heart—remote enough to feel far, close enough to be reachable in a few hours. I told myself I was going “just to think.” But really, I was going to remember.

I drove through Strathcona Provincial Park, windows down, letting the towering evergreens and winding roads strip away the noise. The deeper I went, the lighter I felt. I hiked to Myra Falls, where water spilled over ancient rock into a deep, clear pool. I stood there for a long time, letting the roar of the falls drown out the mental chatter I didn’t even know I’d been carrying.

The first night alone, I barely slept. Not because I was scared, but because the silence was deafening. No tiny feet padding into my room. No texts. No one needing anything from me.
And in that stillness, I cried.

Not because I was sad—but because I realized how long it had been since I’d heard my own thoughts.

The next few days were filled with simple, sacred moments—walking mossy trails, writing in my journal, eating when I was hungry, resting when I was tired. The land held me in ways I didn’t know I needed.

When I came back home, nothing around me had shifted—but I had. I felt grounded in a way I hadn’t in years. I realized that the more I filled my own cup, the better mother, partner, and human I could be.

Since then, I’ve made solo travel part of my self-care rhythm.
Not because I want to escape my life, but because I want to return to it whole.

To every mom out there who’s been afraid to take that first step away—I see you. I know it feels selfish. I know it feels scary. But what if it’s not a step away at all?
What if it’s a step back to you?

If you’ve been craving time to reconnect with you, I created something just for moms like us — a free Solo Travel Starter Guide (coming soon). It’s filled with tips to help you plan your first solo getaway, quiet the guilt, and say yes to yourself without apology.

✨ You deserve this.