16 NORTH BAY WOMAN S P R I N G | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1
By Krystalynn M. Schlagel
H
ave you ever wanted
to travel solo? I did not
think I wanted to until I
did. I have taken many
adventurous trips by
myself. I thought I need-
ed to travel with others until one day,
I did not want to wait anymore, and I
started traveling alone.
It was first a camping trip in my trav-
el trailer, just a short one from Novato
out to Olema Campground. Then the
trips got longer and farther. My last
major trip was over 3,700 miles over a
15-day period.
Each journey was a different expe-
rience that challenged me to find sol-
itude, excitement and adventure. The
best part about all of it was there was
no schedule except the one I wanted.
It can be dangerous traveling alone
depending on how far you want to
take it. I started small and then went
farther and farther. I have also traveled
internationally alone, one of my favor-
ite trips being to Banff, Canada for a
skiing trip.
I learned a lot about traveling
and what makes the most sense for
me when I travel solo, because it is
different from traveling with others.
For example, when I went to Banff, I
stayed at a budget hotel in town that
was within walking distance of every-
The Travel Gal
Solo trips near and far allow you to
explore on your own schedule
Above: Krystalynn M. Schlagel at White Sands National Park, New Mexico 2020; Below: Schlagel at the Oakland Airport headed to Las Vegas
on Jet Suite 2019.
– All photos courtesy Krystalynn M. Schlagel
