OpenTube

Travelling Alone in California Has Actually Taught Me...!

Joel Wood

22,642 views

Come with me as I spend my final day travelling alone in California after an incredible solo California road trip. After travelling through Los Angeles, San Francisco, Monterey and Santa Barbara, I’ve realised just how much solo travel has taught me about confidence, independence and actually enjoying my own company.

In this California travel vlog, I’m exploring Santa Barbara, doing a little shopping, soaking up my final hours on the California coast and reflecting on what travelling alone has actually taught me. What started as a trip for my best friend’s wedding turned into another solo travel USA adventure — and proof that I’m much more capable of travelling by myself than I ever thought.

Of course, no solo road trip in California would be complete without a little chaos… including trying to return my rental car at LAX and immediately losing the will to live.

If you love solo travel vlogs, California road trips, USA travel, travelling alone, Santa Barbara travel and slightly chaotic adventures, subscribe for more! 🇺🇸

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/2FuL9K3
Watch Next: I Accidentally Drove Through a California Wildfire… Solo USA Road Trip 🇺🇸 I Accidentally Drove Through a California ...
🔔Make sure to enable ALL push notifications!🔔

⭐️BECOME A MEMBER ⭐️ @thejoelwood

☕️BUY ME A COFFEE ☕️
Support this channel: http://www.Ko-fi.com/joelwood

📱FIND ME HERE TOO: 📱
Instagram: Instagram: joelwood
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joelmwood?is_...
Facebook: Facebook: joelwoodofficial

🛒 MY AMAZON SHOP 🛒
http://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/joelwood

🤩PERSONALISED VIDEOS 🤩
http://www.cameo.com/joelwood

🌍 FREE CREDIT AND REFERRALS 🌍
Epidemic Royalty Free Music: https://bit.ly/2HOcL0x

😎ABOUT ME 😎
Hello and welcome to the official Joel Wood YouTube channel! This is the start of an exciting new chapter as I transform my 100-year-old house into my dream home while sharing every step of the journey. Expect weekly vlogs, house renovation updates, house tours, solo travel adventures, lifestyle content, bookish chaos and plenty of entertainment along the way.

If you love home renovation, 100-year-old houses, period properties, moving house, solo travel, home makeovers and following a real-life journey from start to finish, you're in the right place. So hit Subscribe and turn on ALL notifications so you never miss a video. For instant updates, follow me on my social media!

Links marked with * are affiliate links which means I receive a tiny commission if an item is bought through that link at no extra cost to you.

20 Comments

@CocoKaynn 4 days ago

Many Americans never get the experience you just had. Driving the California coast is out of a movie!

@paulmagus2133 4 days ago

we can only grow as a person by facing fears and doing it anyway, its always fine in retrospect. your trip teaches you how strong and confidant you are.

@fran0162 4 days ago

Loved this series...as all of your vlogs!!!

@Montanaman-j6l 1 day ago

Good for you! You learn a lot more about yourself when traveling alone. Enjoy the experience while you’re at it of course.

@rbriggster 22 hours ago

I love how you drove past the "Rental Car Center" sign @13:46 and apparently didn't notice.

@EricaGamet 4 days ago

There are so many plusses to solo travel, but the thing I usually miss is just sharing the joy that you feel having a new experience. I did a 2-month solo trek through the UK when I was 29 (way back in the dark ages... 1997). It was glorious. But it hit me hard when I was standing in Cantebury Cathedral and was so awestruck... and had no one to turn to and say, "WOW!" It's like I had all this emotion and nowhere for it to go. I still prefer solo travel (there are only 2 people I can handle traveling with, anyway)... but sharing the experience has its benefits, too. I love how much this trip has brought you. My 2-month trip taught me I was capable of anything... came home and started my own business within 4 months (still have the company, too).

@King_Coyne 4 days ago

Loved the travel video's, it looked so much fun, thanks for taking us with you! Now it's back to the decorating 😀

@GenniePettit 3 days ago

I’ve heard it said that confidence is found on the other side of the action. Way to go! 😀

@joannunemaker6332 4 days ago

I loved this California series. You take the best trips! Safe travels home.😊❤

@LindaDeters 4 days ago

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You must do the thing you think you can not do.”. You grew, Joel!

@Lincoln0213 2 days ago

There are many antique shops here with Victorian era items.

@jvstcu76 4 days ago

Joel, I just realized that after your breakup, you were essentially in a chrysalis, and now you have emerged as a beautiful human butterfly. Yes, the breakup was a traumatic and horrible experience that you had to go through but the end result is a new, stronger man who is embracing life and loving all of the possibilities of the future. Your talk on the beach in Santa Barbara seems to be the actual metamorphosis of leaving all of the painful things behind and emerging into a beautiful and optimistic new day. I'm so happy for you.

@shona4321 4 days ago

I live in LA - WE ALL HATE LAX

@Judy_Reyes 2 days ago

Thank you for sharing your personal journey. If I may say, I think you had some very important and meaningful personal growths from this trip. Take care and enjoy being home with Ava! 🐕

@christopheroliver7589 3 days ago

Thank you for bringing me/us along on your California trip. It was very interesting for me to see California through your eyes. Have a safe trip back to the UK and Happy Birthday on September 25th!

@annaburch3200 3 days ago (edited)

Yes, LAX is a bit cumbersome and in my comment in the last video I said I wondered what your car return adventure would be like, knowing the rental center is far away from the airport. And yep. There we go. I'm glad you made it there safely and got through security no problem. We fly to the LA area, I often, from Seattle and Everett, but we fortunately have more options to fly into. Burbank, Orange/SNA and now Long Beach (airline family). We avoid LAX whenever possible. 🤪 But for international flights, they've got you pinned down. Just FYI, the Santa Barbara Airport is super cute and easy to navigate if you're ever traveling regionally. 😉

Now! Back to work on that beautiful home of yours! Excited to see what you've been up to. 😊

@carlruffi 3 days ago

Thanks for sharing your exciting days brilliant vlog vibes i felt sorry for you at the airport looking for the car rental returns hahaha feeling excited to your next vlog.

@MarkCrespo-h5k8z 4 days ago

I love your adventures Joel I love the locations u visited awesome vlog my friend ❤❤❤❤

@ifsaica 4 days ago

Joel, hello again, Alex here. Thank you so much for sharing your travels with us. It was amazing and I’m so thankful you’re leaving with so many outstanding memories. That is great! I’m really not that much older than you, but your videos gave me a chance to relive my own memories when I use to walk everywhere. I went for my undergrad degree at UCLA, and I did more walking than I care to remember. I realized why so many students there had a best looking legs? Lol However, I believe I’m in the early stages of MS, because it’s affecting my ability to walk long distances. I’ll know after I see my doctor early next year. So you see every time I saw you walking, I felt nostalgic, and sad at the same time. However, you keep on doing what you do best, be well and take care. Wishing you safe travels home. ❤💙🙏Alex from LA

@bkm2797 4 days ago

So sweet of you to share your trip, really enjoyed all of it. Have to say Joel, you have great taste in music, what you select always matches up in all the right ways. Thank you Joel, I know you were happy to return to Ava and your family, there’s no place like home.👍💕🐕