Key Takeaways
- 1You can be terrified on the drive and still be the right person for the room you are walking into.
- 2If you were invited into a space, that invite is proof you belong there even when your brain disagrees.
- 3Answered prayers often arrive wrapped in discomfort, traffic, awkward small talk, and long days.
- 4Wanting silence after a day of networking does not make you antisocial, it means your nervous system needs care.
- 5The future version of you is built in small brave choices like driving to a new city alone and walking through the door anyway.
If you have been searching how to take a solo trip to Miami, how to go to a networking event alone, or just how to be brave enough to walk into a room where you do not know a single person, this one is for you. This was not a vacation. This was a four hour solo drive, a cheap Airbnb, my first creator conference, and a whole lot of “God, I see what you are doing.” I have been sharing my life online for years with hundreds of thousands of people, and this trip still stretched me in new ways.
Let me walk you through what really happened, and what it taught me about confidence, faith, and listening to my future self instead of my nerves.
So... Why A Solo Trip To Miami For A Business Event?
This whole thing started with an invite. A real, professional, “we want you in the room” moment. Networking, panels, creators, brands, all of it. Past me prayed for that. Vision board me printed it out. Present me had to actually get in the car and drive there.
On paper it sounds simple:
- Fill the tank
- Grab a coffee
- Turn on the playlist
- Drive four hours to Miami
In real life it looked like me juggling a breakfast sandwich, editing Vlogmas on the road (do not do that, learn from my bad decisions), overthinking gas station parking, and talking to myself in the car like it was a mobile therapy session.
The solo drive was the first test. No one in the passenger seat. No best friend to hype me up. Just me, a Santa cookie blondie with caramel at the bottom, and a GPS that kept stretching my ETA.
That is where the confidence starts though. Not on stage, not in a panel photo, but in those quiet hours where you keep choosing to move toward the life you prayed for, even while your brain is like, “Girl, we could just stay home.”
Is It Scary To Drive To A New City Alone?
Short answer: yes. And no.
Yes, the nerves are real:
- Long drive
- New city
- Traffic that does not care about your anxiety
- Random bathrooms and parking garages
- Late night food runs after events
At the same time, there is something special about watching a city appear through your windshield and realizing, “I did that. I brought myself here.”
Here is what helped me feel safer and more grounded:
-
Preparation over panic
I filled the tank, charged everything, and had snacks, playlists, and directions ready. Simple stuff, but it calmed me. -
Listening to my body
When I needed to pee, I stopped. When I got hungry after the event, I went to Wendy’s even though I was tired. Taking care of basic needs keeps the spiral away. -
Talking to God out loud
I know I joke and laugh in the car, but I really do talk to God. Out loud. In traffic. It keeps me present. It reminds me this trip is bigger than “content.” It is part of my calling.
If you are worried about your first solo drive, let yourself be both nervous and proud. Both can exist in the same body at the same time.
How Do You Walk Into A Room And Feel Like You Belong There?
This was the core of the trip for me.
I pulled up in my little outfit, heels in the car, stomach flipping. My mind was loud:
- “What if I am awkward?”
- “What if everyone knows each other already?”
- “What if they regret inviting me?”
Then I had to check myself with one simple thought:
“If I did not belong in this room, I would not have been invited.”
That is it. They saw something in me. They reached out. My job was to show up as that girl, not the scared version in my head.
Here is what helped once I got inside:
-
Remembering my future self
I kept telling myself “List 5.0 does this with ease.” She networks. She makes eye contact. She laughs with strangers. She asks questions. She is not perfect, just present. -
Letting small talk be small
You do not need a speech. “Hi, I am Alyssa” and “What do you create?” takes you far in a creator room. -
Seeing people, not pedestals
Everyone there had their own nerves, their own goals, their own rent to pay. Once I stopped putting people on pedestals, the conversations felt normal.
By the end of the night, I had talked to founders, creators, new friends, and even got interviewed. The same girl who was shaking in the car was smiling in the room. Same person, different level of bravery.
The Part No One Talks About: Social Battery And The Crash
Here is the side of events that does not show up on flyers.
You talk for hours. You listen. You learn. You introduce yourself over and over. You remember faces, brands, stories. Then you get back in the car, close the door, and your social battery is at negative five.
After the conference, my drive home went from four hours to five with traffic. My brain felt stretched. I was grateful and mentally fried at the same time.
If you relate to that, here are a few things I wish someone told me earlier:
- You can love people and still need silence after a long day.
- You can be a creator and still lean slightly introvert.
- Growth will not always feel glamorous. Sometimes it feels like driving home in full makeup, eating fast food in the car, and talking to yourself so you do not cry from exhaustion.
Honoring your limits does not cancel your ambition. It actually protects it.
What This Trip Reminded Me About Faith And Vision
Miami showed me something important: answered prayers still come with discomfort.
I asked God to put me in rooms with people who stretch my thinking. I wanted more business knowledge, more opportunities, more proof that my vision was not in my head. He said “Bet” and then handed me a four hour solo drive, a hostel-style Airbnb, a room full of strangers, and a two day event.
It felt like:
- Growth
- Pressure
- Gratitude
- Imposter syndrome
- Confirmation
All in one.
If you are reading this and you feel your life shifting, I want you to ask yourself:
“What room did I pray for that I am scared to walk into right now?”
The gym, a class, therapy, a networking event, a new church, a different city, an application form. Whatever it is, the fear does not mean it is wrong. Sometimes the fear just means your life is widening.
You do not have to feel ready. You just have to be willing to drive, park, take a deep breath in the car, and walk inside anyway.
Let this be your reminder: you are not behind. You are not late. You are in training. The version of you on your vision board is built in moments exactly like this one.
