Last weekend, I did something completely new for me. Something independent, even a little bit risky. I went camping, in a tent, on a stretch of wild beach, with no cell phone access, by myself. Emphasis on BY MYSELF. SOLO. It was fantastic.

I have never, ever, taken a holiday alone. I have travelled by myself a fair bit, but it has always been related to work or to a volunteer activity. The men in my life have taken trips on their own, and I have travelled with them, or my parents, or my kids, or even my girlfriends. But just me? With only my own thoughts and books to keep me company? I’ve never been that independent… until now.

I’d been hoping to get away by myself for months. First, it was going to be January, then Spring Break, then things got busy and now here we are in the middle of summer. All I wanted was some quiet – some uninterrupted time to read, write, and think. I also wanted to be by the ocean. So I packed my little tent, a few clothes, four books (that was three too many, but I was indecisive) and two days’ worth of food. Oh, and my hand bell for meditation. And a small treat that a friend left at my house last week (thanks, Scott). And off I went.

I picked the far end of the Juan de Fuca Trail for finding my piece of paradise. I wanted open ocean, but not a four-hour drive to Tofino. By the time I left my house on Saturday afternoon, and drove two hours to the trailhead, it was after five. That meant that if I were going to camp at an official “campground”, it would have to be Payzant Beach. Even better, I found the perfect spot only 3 km in.

I set the tent up where the forest gives way to slate rock formations – great for the view, but a little hard for sleeping on, considering my sleeping mat had a hole in it (note to self: check for leaks before leaving home). Once my home-away-from-home was set up, I took off my hiking boots and picked my way, barefoot, to the edge of the rocks. (I stayed barefoot right until I left) In the water, a thick kelp forest bobbed about, and I strained my eyes for signs that seals might be disguising themselves amongst the bulbs. I heard a great sigh, and thought it might be whales, but it was a wave pushing into an undercut portion of a rock. Just as I thought “hmm, no seals” and looked down, there was one right at my feet! We both gasped, and she did one of those end-of-the-pool flips that you see Olympic swimmers do, and was gone — almost. I spotted her again, getting another look at me from a safer distance.

That was as exciting as it got – the rest of my mini-holiday was for thinking, dozing on warm rocks, reading, composing songs in my head, cooking easy one-pot meals, dozing and reading some more, and inspecting the tide. It was more relaxing than the all-inclusive Mexican resort I went to with my (ex) boyfriend a couple of years ago, because I didn’t even have to choose where to eat, or worry about whether anyone apart from me was having a good time.

Four, maybe five times, other hikers joined me on the beach, but they stayed in their own space and I stayed in mine. They never stayed for longer than a snack and a picture. I hardly had to speak to anyone. I was so much in my own little world that I question whether I really am an extrovert, or just a very friendly introvert.

I got up early the morning of the third day, put my things back in my backpack, and trekked out again, longing for coffee and a shower. I have rarely felt so at peace, and so whole-in-myself. No cougars or bears mauled me, no thieves took my cell phone out of my tent (though I scared myself with that thought as I searched for it on my final morning) – I didn’t even get a mosquito bite. I did get a couple of bruises from clumsy attempts to climb over logs with a 40 lb pack on my back (10 of those were books). I chalk that up to forgetting that I’m not 20 any more.

In all, it went so well, I may just make solo camping an annual event. Don’t worry – I will always leave notes about where I am, and when to expect me back. I’ll stick to mid-country areas where I know that if I sprain my ankle, someone will be along in a couple of hours. I’ll take fewer books, and more writing paper. And I may even stay longer than two days.

Tags: camping, Juan de Fuca trail, solo, travel