Hey! I’m Emma from Where’s Ems? 👋🏼 I’ve been travelling full-time since 2023 while building my freelance writing business. Subscribe to receive weekly conversations with women travelling solo, celebrating the joy, kindness and challenges along the way, and asking the question they’re so often asked: “Aren’t you afraid?”
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Taylor Haught doesn’t describe herself as fearless. In fact, she admits she feels afraid before every solo trip. And yet, she keeps booking the flights anyway. What started as a spontaneous escape to Croatia during Covid turned into a life-changing experience that taught her how capable she really is.
Taylor kicks off this new series by talking honestly about anxiety, independence and why being scared doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker.
Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do? What are your hobbies?
I’m originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I moved to San Diego when I was 19, where I lived for nearly 12 years. Now I’m kind of a citizen of the world!
My favourite and most expensive hobby is probably travel, no doubt. But I also love writing personal essays on my Substack, writing and directing films, hiking with my dog, reading and watching good films.
What inspired your first solo trip, and where did you go?
It was kind of insane. My best friend started dating a guy I used to date, and it really threw my whole life for a loop, so I felt like I needed to get out of Dodge and be alone. It was right at the beginning of Covid, though, so borders were closing. I decided to look up countries still open to travelers, and Croatia was the only option, really.
I had never done any research on Croatia, so I went without any expectations and a lot of anxiety, but I had such a life-changing experience. Cliché, I know, but it really did alter the course of my life from that point on. I made so many wonderful friends, and the country is absolutely stunning.
How often do you travel solo these days?
I make a point to travel solo several times a year!
How has travelling solo had a positive impact on your life?
So many things — for one, I feel like it really has helped my anxiety and, in turn, my confidence. I feel like being a stranger in a strange land teaches you to rely only on yourself and your instincts, and allows you to open up more and soften. This makes it easy to meet people, but you also become so comfortable with your own company. I would have never thought to eat dinner alone, go to a bar alone, visit museums alone, take planes and trains and buses alone or go to temples in Bali alone.
Sometimes when I’m back in the States, I dare myself to do this more. I think, oh, I eat alone or do xyz alone when I’m traveling, so why can’t I do it here, too? It makes you not wait for people to do the things you want.
It’s also made me a bit more of a rebel, I think! I’ve decentred men from my life, instead focusing more on platonic relationships. I care less about more “traditional” ways of living, like marriage or kids or climbing the corporate ladder.
“I’ve had anxiety and depression my whole life, and I use travel as a sort of exposure therapy… now I’m hooked!”
Can you share a challenge you faced while travelling solo, and how you handled it?
I’ve had plenty! But I think they all teach you just to roll with the punches.
One time, I slept through a flight to Paris (oops). I also smashed my phone in Rome and had to find someone to fix it with the Italian vocabulary of a five-year-old (navigating a foreign country without a phone is so wild). I’ve been very lonely or sick in different countries, too, and while it can change your trip, it teaches you to work through the discomfort.
Tell us about a moment of kindness you’ve experienced while travelling alone.
I think you’ll find that most people are kind and helpful. One of the most memorable moments was when I was looking for a ferry, and I was late. I was panicked and stressed until an older Croatian man helped me find the ferry, and I just barely made it in time. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean that people won’t help you. Help is available to you everywhere if you just ask.
“I think it’s important to encourage women to travel solo (at any age)! It’s absolutely life-changing in so many positive ways, and it bleeds into other areas of your life.”
What advice would you give to someone about to take their first solo trip?
Feel the fear and do it anyway! I promise it will be worth it.
Don’t plan too much, as you never know what might happen, so just be open to where a place takes you. I like to book my flight, my room for the first night and my transportation so I know exactly where I’m going when I land and can tell friends and family (for safety). Then you can just plan the rest from there.
Also, I guess just have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone and do things you normally wouldn’t do (like going to dinner or seeing a show alone). I think you might really surprise yourself with your strength and bravery and have a really fantastic time.
One more thing — hostels or co-living spaces are a must for newbie solo travellers looking for friends! You’ll meet so many people from all over the world travelling just like you, and you won’t feel so alone.
Aren’t you afraid?
Yes, I still am every trip I take! I don’t know if that’s the answer you’re looking for, but for me, it’s the truth.
I always have anxiety about solo trips, but I still do it because I always end up having the best time and most often, a better time by myself than traveling with others.
I just tell myself that anxiety is often just excitement in another form, and to just enjoy the adventure! I’m not afraid for my safety or anything like that, just the anticipation and all the logistics. In fact, I’ve felt much safer in almost every place I’ve travelled than in the United States.
Before you go…
Where’s the most memorable place you’ve stayed and why?
A backpackers’ hostel in Split, Croatia. I met a bunch of travellers, and we frequented a bar called Charlie’s across the street. We just had a blast!
What’s one thing you always pack?
A journal.
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten while travelling?
Oh man, this is hard! I had incredible food in Japan. Maybe some Ramen or Udon from there.
Is there one safety tip you swear by?
Not getting too drunk, the buddy system and female-only hostel rooms. I can’t say that I’ve always followed this, but I think it’s important to remain a little clear-headed. Absolutely have your fun, but if you’re gonna get really drunk, have a buddy, please!
Do you have a souvenir that always makes you smile?
An Airbnb host in Dubrovnik gave me a little donkey trinket that I love! She said it represented the resilience of the Dalmatian people.
Taylor’s Croatia tips
I went to Croatia completely spontaneously — I just bought a cheap ticket to Dubrovnik and figured it out as I went! The country is actually quite small, so in the three months I spent there, I was able to explore so much of it really easily. I just took buses everywhere — Dubrovnik to Split, Split to Zagreb, then over to the Istria peninsula before heading into Italy.
Where to stay
I think Split is a great place to base yourself, especially as a solo traveler. It’s the best hub for taking ferries to the other islands — I definitely recommend splitting a boat tour with other travelers — and it has the best social scene, with plenty of hostels and bars where I made a lot of friends. Zadar could also be a good option as well.
Things you should definitely do
Go to Vis Island! It’s considered the “last paradise” in the Mediterranean, and it really does feel like that. Also, drink some rakija (traditional fruit brandy) with locals, eat some ćevapi (grilled sausages), and, if you’re not really a beach person, Croatia has amazing national parks like Plitvice Lakes and Krka.
My best advice
Go during the off-season — mid-September and October are perfect. Croatia is quite popular now as a tourist destination, and it’s also gotten a lot more expensive since it switched from kunas to euros, so keep that in mind. Off-season, things will be less expensive, and the crowds thin out.
The older generation doesn’t know as much English, so learning a few basic phrases will be really appreciated. I found the locals to be very warm, kind and helpful overall!
Want to keep up with Taylor’s adventures? Follow her here:
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Would you like to be featured in this series? I’m currently taking a short break from applications, but if you leave your email address using this form, I’ll let you know when it’s back open… likely in February.
📍Where’s Ems? Find me on Instagram and LinkedIn, or explore my work at wheresems.com. Thanks for reading!
Croatia sounds amazing. I’m so eager to follow along for these and even more excited that I’m featured, bringing a more matured look at solo travel for those of us that have lived a few more decades before embarking solo.
"It makes you not wait for people to do the things you want." This is exactly what I love most about solo travel. Embracing all the things you want to do, regardless of your relationship status. I really enjoyed reading this.