The journey of personal growth is not linear, it is a wild rollercoaster that you can never get off of. So why not sit back and enjoy?

I remember the cold evening in January 2024 when I came to my dad and said, “I want to drive to Canada by myself.” He asked, “why” , to which I replied with, “because I want to put myself through uncomfortable situations to become a stronger woman and doing that big of a road trip is bound to teach me something.” His reply… “Go for it, if it will make you happy”. 

That night when I asked my dad for his opinion, it had been roughly 10 months since I first started this Airstream life. Of those 10 months, the furthest I traveled was Redding, California and the longest trip I took was 3 weeks and while that trip was rewarding in terms of confidence building, I did not experience any challenging situations where my adversity was truly tested to fully experience the deep level of personal growth I desire. 

Why care about Personal Growth?

To give you more forehand as to why a 23-year-old mixed-raced woman would want to drive alone from San Diego to Canada while living out of her Airstream, I grew up blind to the world. I was innocent, naive, lacked confidence, self-awareness…the list can go on. Ever since going off to college and diving into more philosophical concepts (as a typical college student would), I became obsessed (in a healthy way) with constantly trying to improve myself in any way I could. I wanted to be mentally resilient, maintain a positive mindset, overcome fears, and find a deep sense of inner strength to live the empowered life I currently am today. 

By the end of January I was on a 2 week fishing trip to lakes around California where I met an older Australian woman at a campsite. We ran into one another and started talking about our journeys, goals, hopes, and dreams. To be completely honest with you, this woman looked homeless and she was indeed crazy (but in a very charming and beautiful way). As we both got to know each other, it was revealed that I went to UC Berkeley for my undergraduate studies while she went to Oxford for her doctorate degree. We had an unbelievable conversion specifically about female empowerment in male-dominated industries. 

Eventually I told her how I hoped to drive to Canada one day in which she gave me a detailed plan of what I should do. 

Two weeks later I was fully booked for the 3 week ascend to Port Angeles, Washington where I booked a ferry ride over to Victoria, BC then to Vancouver, BC where I would start my 3 week descent back to San Diego. I planned to leave home on March 17th. 

The middle of March came around, I said my goodbyes to my family, and made my first stop in the Bay Area to visit a dear friend of mine. The night before I left to continue my drive, I completely broke down with doubtful thoughts flooding my mind. As I sat there crying to my friend, he said,”this is the whole reason why you are doing this. To prove that you don’t need anyone, so why would you let this stop you from reaching your dreams when it will make you stronger and you’ve done it before.” He was entirely right. 

Being brought back down to reality is important. At any time, in any situation so you always maintain a clear sight of your own personal goals to feel that sense of gratification and accomplishment. 

The next morning I said my goodbye to him and continued my two and a half weeks into Redding, California, Oregon, and finally to Port Angeles, Washington where I would drive my truck and trailer onto a ferry and sail across the ocean to cross international borders and land in Victoria, BC. 

Of course, I could dive into greater detail about my 6 week trip, but that can be saved for another article. What I really want to emphasize are the biggest lessons I learned throughout those 6 weeks full of beauty but also self-doubt. Everyone’s personal growth journey is different, but no one’s journey is linear. Everyone goes through highs and lows, so you and I are no exception. 

Personal Growth: What I learned from San Diego to Canada

- Having inner strength is key in difficult situations where you may not have support

- You must overcome fears in order to grow

- Having self-compassion is key for when you make mistakes and need to pick yourself back up

- Know your self-worth to not put yourself in uncomfortable situations

- Confidence building situations are stressful in the beginning, but important in the end

- Mindful practices will teach you to be easy on yourself when stressful situations

- Positive affirmations are essential to fully internalize self-reward

- Set simple, but achievable goals to feel that sense of accomplishment 

Yes, there were times where I wanted to be home, but I knew this trip was worth any ounce of self-doubt or the desire to want to give up. Besides, there was no giving up, to get home I had to follow my plan, so I reframed my perspective and knew everyday that passed I was a little bit closer to home. 

Conclusion: What's next for personal growth?

The trip from San Diego to Canada was about personal growth and discovery, not just seeing beautiful mountain scapes–or maybe just a little but of both. Would I do it again?...Well maybe in a few years or with a partner, but why experience the same goal I already satisfied?

Personal growth is about facing new fears and creating new goals to constantly strive and evolve into a better version of yourself. I love being by myself because there are no distractions and I am the only person who can take away or grant myself happiness. 

All I hope is that sharing part of my story can inspire you to start writing yours. I understand everyone is dealt with different cards in life, but all anyone can do is make the best of where they sit and if we don’t like it, we can work on it day by day.

I will fully admit, it feels amazing to have the confidence as a young woman to back-up my trailer in any campsite to say I drove from San Diego to Canada by myself; but at the same time, it means almost nothing to me now. 

I am ready for something new. I am ready to expand my knowledge and continue to open new doors to different opportunities. I’m sure some will be bad while others will be life changing, but the very least I can do is try. 

I hope you do too.