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I want to tell you about the moment I boarded a plane to Iceland alone for the first time. I was somewhere in the middle of the biggest life transition I had ever faced — freshly divorced, newly empty nested, and deeply unsure of who exactly I was going to be on the other side of all of it. And there I was, carry on in hand, boarding pass in the other, feeling two things simultaneously and with equal intensity: completely terrified and absolutely thrilled.
I had found the trip through social media — a women’s travel group organizing a journey to Iceland for solo female travelers. Twelve women total. All of us at our own version of a crossroads. I signed up before I could talk myself out of it and I packed light — just a carry on, which felt like its own small act of bravery for a woman who used to pack for every possible scenario including ones that had never once occurred.
What happened over the next several days in Iceland changed something fundamental in me. Here are the ten things I learned — things I wish someone had told me before I went, and things I want every woman over 50 who is even slightly considering solo travel to know.
1. A women’s travel group is the perfect entry point into solo travel.
If the idea of traveling completely alone feels like too much right now — that is completely valid and there is a beautiful middle ground. Women’s travel groups give you the independence and freedom of solo travel while surrounding you with instant community. I found mine through social media and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. You are responsible for yourself, you make your own choices, but you are never truly alone. For a first solo trip it is the ideal combination of brave and sensible.
2. You are safer than you think.
The thing that surprised me most about my first solo trip was how safe and confident I felt from the very first day. Iceland consistently ranks as one of the safest countries in the world for solo female travelers and I felt that immediately. But beyond the destination itself I realized that I — a woman in her mid fifties who had spent decades prioritizing everyone else’s comfort and safety — was actually very capable of taking care of myself. That realization did not stay in Iceland. I brought it home with me.
3. You can absolutely pack for a week in just a carry on.
I did it and I am still quietly proud of myself. The key is ruthless editing and good packing cubes — they are genuinely life changing for fitting more into less space. For Iceland specifically I packed layers rather than bulky items, one pair of versatile waterproof hiking boots that worked for everything, and a lightweight packable down jacket that compressed to almost nothing. Traveling light means no checked baggage fees, no waiting at carousels and no wrestling a massive suitcase up cobblestone streets. I will never go back to overpacking.
4. Hiking on a glacier will make you feel invincible.
This was the moment that moved me most. Standing on a glacier in Iceland — actual ancient ice under my boots, vast white landscape stretching in every direction, sky so enormous it felt personal — I had a thought so clear it surprised me. I did not know I was still capable of this. Not the hiking. Not the physical effort. The willingness to show up somewhere completely unknown and trust myself to handle it. If you ever get the chance to walk on a glacier do not hesitate. Wear layers, bring waterproof gloves and good grip boots, and go. It is one of those experiences that rearranges something quietly inside you.
5. ATV riding across a volcanic landscape is exactly as exhilarating as it sounds.
I will be honest — I was not sure about this one. I am not someone who has ever described herself as an adrenaline seeker. But there is something about being in Iceland, surrounded by otherworldly volcanic terrain, with a group of women who are all collectively deciding to say yes to things — that makes you braver than usual. I rode that ATV across the landscape with a grin on my face the entire time and I thought about all the things I had said no to over the years because they seemed too adventurous or too unlike me. Solo travel has a way of expanding your definition of yourself.
6. Swimming in a natural hot spring is the ultimate reset button.
After the glacier and the ATVs we hiked to a natural hot spring and slipped into water that the earth itself had heated. I floated there looking up at the sky and felt every bit of tension I had been carrying — from the divorce, the empty nest, the uncertainty of starting over — just dissolve. I am not being dramatic when I say it was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. A good quick dry travel towel is essential for moments like this — lightweight, compact and dries in minutes.
7. The women you meet will stay with you long after the trip ends.
Twelve women. All solo. All somewhere in the middle of something. Within two days we were sharing stories over dinner that we had probably never told anyone at home. There is a particular intimacy that forms between women who are all brave enough to show up somewhere alone — a mutual recognition, a shared language. Some of the women I met on that trip are still in my life today. That alone was worth the price of the flight.
8. You will make decisions you are proud of.
One of the quiet joys of solo travel is that every decision is yours. Where to eat. What to see. How long to linger somewhere beautiful. When to go back to the hotel. Nobody else’s preferences to navigate. Nobody else’s energy to manage. Just yours. I made decisions on that trip — small ones and big ones — and every single one of them felt good because they were mine. I had forgotten how much I trusted my own judgment until I had the space to use it again.
9. You do not need a companion to have the time of your life.
This was perhaps the most surprising lesson of all. I had spent so much of my life doing things alongside someone else that I had genuinely forgotten I was good company on my own. Solo travel teaches you this in the most beautiful way. The meals you eat alone are not lonely — they are peaceful. The sunsets you watch by yourself are not sad — they are yours completely. You are enough company for yourself. More than enough actually.
10. The first solo trip is just the beginning.
I came home from Iceland a different woman. Not dramatically, visibly different — but quietly, fundamentally different in the way that matters most. I knew things about myself that I had forgotten or never discovered. And I immediately started thinking about where I wanted to go next. That is the thing about solo travel once you start — you simply cannot stop. The world is so much more accessible and welcoming than we have been led to believe, and we have so many good years of adventure ahead of us. A good travel wallet and a reliable lightweight daypack are two things I now consider essential travel companions for any trip.
Are you thinking about taking your first solo trip?
I would love to hear where you are dreaming of going. Drop a comment below or send me a note at [email protected]. And if you are on the fence about booking that trip — consider this your sign. You are braver than you think, more capable than you know, and the world is waiting for you.
Iceland was just my beginning. I cannot wait to see where yours takes you.
With love and a little chaos,
— Tammy
