The Short Version

I’ve spent 30+ years building websites, writing books, and helping others tell their stories. But somewhere along the way, I forgot my own adventure story. Now I’m car camping across Florida’s incredible public lands, saving for a tiny camper, and working toward full-time RV life. This is my journey from cubicle to campsite — and I’m bringing you along for every mile.

Picture this: 30 years of staring at computer screens. Thousands of websites designed. Countless clients helped. Multiple books published. And slowly, quietly, my own sense of adventure disappeared beneath the weight of deadlines, invoices, and “professional responsibilities.”

Then I discovered workamping — volunteering at campgrounds in exchange for a free site. It sounded perfect: combine my love of the outdoors with my need to escape the desk. So I applied, got accepted, and spent months as a campground host in Florida’s state parks.

What I found shocked me: there was almost no good information for solo women interested in workamping. Every blog, every forum, every resource was written by couples or full-time RVers with decades of experience. Where were the stories for women like me? Women starting late? Women camping alone? Women wondering if they could really do this?

That’s when I decided to write the book I wished I’d had: “Insider’s Guide to Campground Hosting in Florida Parks.” And that book sparked everything else: this blog, the Solo Sojourn Trail app, and eventually, my PhD research on how digital platforms can empower displaced women.

Here’s what keeps me going: too many women think they can’t camp alone.

They think they’re too old. Too inexperienced. Too whatever. They look at Instagram-perfect RV couples and think, “That’s not me.” They see expensive gear and massive motorhomes and think, “I can’t afford that.” They worry about safety, about looking foolish, about doing it “wrong.”

I’m here to tell you: You can start exactly where you are.

Car camping. Tent camping. Borrowed equipment. Small steps. That’s how this works. You don’t need a six-figure RV or a decade of experience. You need a campground, a sleeping bag, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

But here’s the most important credential: I’m a real person, really camping, really figuring this out. Not a sponsored influencer. Not a trust fund kid living the van life dream. Just a middle-aged woman who decided life’s too short to keep staring at screens.

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I read and respond to every email (it might take a few days during camping trips!)

jolene.macfadden@solosojournproject.com

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