Mariah, a solo traveler visiting Iran, details to PEOPLE how she left Tehran after the conflict began on June 13

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Mariah, a solo traveler in Iran, needed to figure out how to get home after the country was bombed by Israel on June 13
She traveled with her guide and a driver who took her to the border and got her to Armenia
From Armenia, she traveled to Cyprus, London, Orlando, Fla. and then finally got home after a week

One solo American traveler is sharing what it was like to be in Tehran, Iran, as the country's conflict with Israel escalated.

Mariah, who goes by the username @itsinmyownuniverse on TikTok, was a week into her travels in Iran when Israel launched a new wave of strikes, bombing Tehran and other areas in the country. It was the last day in Iran, and she found herself unable to leave; all the flights were canceled, and the border was closed. Mariah talks with PEOPLE exclusively about how she made it home.

"I was trying to figure out what am I going to do? How do I get out of here? My visa also only had a short amount of time on it, and there wasn't time to figure out what to do," she tells PEOPLE. "I was also trying to ensure that the government didn't perceive me as a threat."

The U.S. State Department recommends that Americans avoid the nation, warning on its website not to "travel to Iran due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest of U.S. citizens, and wrongful detention."

According to the State Department, "Violent extremist groups, including U.S. government-designated terrorist organizations, operate in Iran." These groups, including ISIS, have claimed responsibility for bombings and acts of terrorism.

Following the initial bombings and Iran's retaliation against Israel, the United States launched airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure eight days later. On Monday, June 23, Iran retaliated against the U.S. military strikes, launching their own missile strike against a military base in Qatar.

"The night before we started driving out to get to a border, I was able to hear the attacks going on," Mariah recalls. "It was traumatizing because you're thinking, 'How close are they? Will it hit me? What's going on? Who is it affecting?' Being an American, I felt like I was in danger. I wanted to make sure I was not drawing attention to myself."

Mariah went to the embassy to figure out the best plan of action. Since there's no American embassy in Iran, her friends advised her to go to the Swiss Embassy, which assists American tourists. When she explained her situation to the man working there, he directed her to return to her hotel, as it was safer there.

Iran requires U.S. travelers to travel with a guide, so Mariah was using her guide's Wifi and hotspot to message her friends and family.

"I was preparing for the worst-case scenario," Mariah shares. "I didn't know how long I would be there. I had one friend that I updated, and I was messaging two times a day, one in the morning, one in the evening."

"We made safe words in case anything happened to me, or I was taken, or my phone was taken," she adds. "If this friend didn't hear anything from me within a certain amount of time, they were supposed to call my family, call the consulate and embassy, and tell them."

After visiting the embassy, Mariah began searching for a driver who could take her to the border. She had to find a driver she could not only afford, but also one willing to drive an American.

A driver saw her and offered to take her on the condition that she cover the cost needed for them to take the journey. Mariah's guide called the travel agency and initially told them they were traveling to Turkey. However, the agency reported back that they wouldn't be allowed into Turkey, so they had to change their plans and began heading toward Armenia.

"Once I made it to Armenia, my guide went in with me to speak Farsi to the people at the border. I was detained for about an hour," she says. "They were asking me questions, making sure that I was legally allowed to be there, why I was there, and trying to find all of the documents."

Once she was allowed into Armenia, she realized that she had spent all her cash and still needed to get to the airport. She was able to hitchhike to the capital, where the airport is located, which is a six-hour drive.

Mariah says that when she got to the airport, she was able to book a flight to Cyprus. She flew from Cyprus to London, and then found a flight from London to Orlando, Fla. After touching down in the states, she flew from Orlando to her native North Carolina.

"After London, all of my flights were delayed at least six hours. I traveled for a week between trying to leave Iran and making it back to my hometown."

Mariah says there was no other option but to try to figure out how to get home.

"I don't know how I did it. I knew that I couldn't afford to be there any longer," she says. "I spoke with my friends, who were able to help, and they would ask, 'What can we do to make sure that you get home safely?' "

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Despite the unpredictable end to her trip, one of the things that stood out to her the most was "the kindness of people" when she was in Iran.

"They wanted to practice their English. They wanted to know what I thought of their country," she explains. "Then, after the attack, my driver said to me, 'Our governments are against each other, but we're not. We're people, and you're no different than me and my children. You're just a person who wants to explore. I can appreciate you wanting to visit and see a new country.' "

Before the bombings, Mariah was traveling through the country, visiting Shiraz, Yaz, Persepolis, Necropolis and Tehran, with the capital being the last location on her trip.

"I never got to see Tehran. I saw it at night for a little while, but it's beautiful, and there's a rich history and culture," Mariah shares. "There's a story behind everything. I felt completely safe the entire time I was there, and even though my life was in danger, I was safe with the driver and the guide because if they were confident, I would make it to the border. They also wanted to get back to their family."

"The culture, the people, and the food are so good. Iran is really beautiful," she adds. "It was nice that I got to see different parts of it. I hope that people get a chance to feel safe and travel around again."