My Solo Trip to Universal Studios Hollywood: A Game Changer

 As a 22-year-old in college, I never thought I'd end up going to a theme park alone. I’ve always associated places like Universal Studios with big groups of friends or family trips. But when I got a free ticket through my job at NBC, the opportunity was too good to pass up—even if the idea of going solo gave me serious second thoughts.

I'll be honest, I was nervous. I worried about looking out of place or being judged for being alone. Theme parks are usually social environments. Would it feel awkward standing in line without anyone to chat with or having no one to scream with on the rides? The whole experience was way out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to challenge myself. I knew that stepping out of that comfort zone might just be worth it.

And it totally was!

The moment I walked through the gates, I felt a weird sense of freedom. I could do whatever I wanted. I wasn’t stuck following someone else's agenda or debating what to do next. I hit all the rides I was excited about (The Mummy and Jurassic World were musts), took snack breaks whenever I felt like it, and even had time to just sit and people-watch while enjoying some butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The entire day was at my own pace, and it was unexpectedly relaxing.

There were definitely moments where I felt a little awkward. Like when I saw families laughing together in line or groups of friends posing for pictures. But I quickly realized no one really cared that I was there alone. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own fun that my solo status went unnoticed. And honestly, being able to focus on my own experience made it even better.

By the end of the day, I had so much fun that I was already thinking about when I could go again. It completely changed my perspective on doing things alone. For the longest time, I thought solo activities had a built-in stigma, but this trip proved otherwise. Now I’m not just okay with the idea of doing things by myself—I’m excited about it. It feels empowering to know I can enjoy something like a theme park without needing someone else there to "complete" the experience.

Stepping out of my comfort zone didn’t just make me feel more independent; it also showed me that some of the best memories can be made when you’re just hanging out with you.

Night at Horror Nights

Me and a group of friends decided that there is no better way to start off October than doing something spooky in honor of Halloween. So what did we do? We decided to make a trip to Universal Studios on a Wednesday night for Horror Nights! 

The park opened their doors at 7 p.m. Because we left on Wednesday, some of us had classes that ended a little late. We ended up arriving to Universal at 8 p.m. As soon as we passed through security and scanned our tickets, the jump scares began. We walked through the scare zone where my friends were frightened, screaming, and all jittery. That only means that the night has begun.

We first completed two mazes, A Quiet Place and The Nightmares of Latin America. Personally, I did not seem too fond of these mazes. They were not scary at all, especially A Quiet Place. We then proceeded to hit the Terror Tram, Ghostbusters and Universal Monsters. Those three were not that bad. 

We first completed two mazes, A Quiet Place and The Nightmares of Latin America. Personally, I did not seem too fond of these mazes. They were not scary at all, especially A Quiet Place. We then proceeded to hit the Terror Tram, Ghostbusters and Universal Monsters. Those three were not that bad. 

After going on a round of mazes, our group decided to have some fun on rides. We rode on both Harry Potter rides, Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Mummy. A couple of my friends had never been to Universal Studios, so we made it our goal to try and complete everything at the park. Because we went on a Wednesday, this was very possible due to the longest line at the park being a 35 minute wait. Majority of us agreed that Revenge of the Mummy was the best ride. 

After a short food break, we finished the night off by doing the rest of the mazes. Some of our favorites were Insidious, Death Valley and Texas Chainsaw.

A night that started at around 6:30 p.m., the time we left to the park ended with us leaving at 2 a.m. We were able to accomplish our goal of doing everything that Horror Nights had to offer. It was a really fun time that brought a close group even closer. I would definitely recommend for everyone to try and go this season.