Mandy Moore: 'I'm terrified of traveling alone'

Facing an arena of screaming fans or a room full of movie critics - child's play. But taking a trip by yourself? Now that's scary, says Mandy Moore.

'I was always kind of terrified of going on vacation alone,' the 23-year-old actress told Reuters at the launch of uPumpItUp.com, a Web site aimed at helping women balance their busy lives. 'The thought really scared me, but I wanted to push past that bruise and do it anyway.'

So how was it? 'I ended up having the most incredible time,' she gushed. 'It was so peaceful, not having to answer to anyone or take anybody else's opinions into account. It is empowering, and it's such a simple thing to do.'

Empowerment-made-easy: That's the goal of the new Web site, where women can share their stories and tips.

'We all struggle with finding time for ourselves between family and friends and work and all those other obligations, and we neglect ourselves,' Moore said. 'Having that sense of balance in life between personal and all that other stuff is kind of essential to leading a happy life.'

In the past, the performer has admitted to battling depression after the 2006 break-up of her relationship with Zach Braff. She has also dated tennis player Andy Roddick and actor Wilmer Valderrama.

These days, she's focusing more on herself. The License to Wed star said she's taken a tip from uPumpItUp to compliment one person each day. She also plans to take cooking classes and blog about her experiences.

But first, she's traveling to Australia and - no worries - this time she'll have company: She's playing a few concert dates with Kelly Clarkson.

WENN