Having just returned from weeks of solo travel, I am trying to decide exactly how I feel about journeying alone. Some of the joys are obvious, as are some of the discomforts. I wish more female travelers talked about the whole truth about solo travel.
At only twenty years old when I first traveled alone, it wasn’t by choice. I’d been backpacking in Europe with two friends, staying in hostels and rooming houses. In Nice, France, we’d rented scooters for our last day there. Somehow, someone robbed me of all my important belongings, at a traffic stop.
Sarah, Renée and I owned train tickets to go from Nice to Munich the next day. I had no passport and no American Express traveler’s checks (this was a long time ago). I cut my eight-week trip to six, the girls went on to Munich, and I stayed alone in Nice. My passport and traveler’s checks had to be re-issued so that I could fly back to New Jersey. Alone in Nice for two days, I stayed close to my accomodations, probably vulnerable without a passport and with little cash, but didn’t worry at all. I spent my time concocting a story to tell my mom about why I was suddenly returning home so early.
Over the next thirty years that followed, I took many vacations, but always with a partner, or with a family member. An occasional solo overnight in a hotel in Long Island, NY, for business promised a small adventure. Only once I divorced, did I plan a quick stay in Manhattan as a treat, museum-hopping, and eating solo at places like Gramercy Park Tavern. I loved the idea of a mini-adventure. I wandered, walked a lot (without wearing an Apple watch to prove my activity), window-shopped. At the time, I didn’t realize that it was the beginning of my wanderlust, at least in my head.
In the decades that followed, I suffered the loss of a child, before welcoming my three children, now all adults. I navigated through a serious health issue and a divorce before taking my next solo journey, in 2010.
First solo trip in a long time…
Other than flights, lodging, and train reservations, I didn’t make specific plans for my trip to France that included Paris, Lille, and Blois, in the Loire Valley. I love getting off a plane in a new city or getting on a train to another. Possibilities always seemed limitless when I got away from where I lived, although I was, and am, still plagued by worry about my kids, old as they now are! I woke up each morning, eager for whatever unfolded along my way. Repeatedly, I talked to strangers, walked and walked miles, ate alone. It was fabulous, until it got dark. I recall now the feeling of loneliness that replaced my euphoric sense of freedom and curiosity present only an hour before. At that time, I thought it was because I had recently gotten divorced. Now I know it as just a truth about solo travel.
Since 2010, I’ve taken at least a dozen trips, many overseas, but all with either my daughter or my best friend. Not until 2024, did I go it alone again. My friend Sophia and I had long planned to do a winter trip to Strasbourg, France for the Christmas markets, and I hoped that we would really do it. When that didn’t look promising, I decided it was time to just go, somewhere.
Solo trip after 14 years
Menton, France is a happy place for me. I spent two days there in 2017, and dreamt of returning, which I did, solo, in 2024. Every day brought amazing opportunities, all blessed with the magnificence of the Mediterranean Sea. The nights, though, caused me to doubt the wiseness of my decision to travel alone. During dinner on my last night there, I told myself that solo travel was perhaps too lonely for me. A day after returning home, I had already begun thinking about a next trip. The conflict is real. https://wanderlearnrepeat.com/my-gift-from-michael-and-a-flight-to-france/
Longer solo journey
Again, my son, Michael offered me a round-trip ticket to Europe. How could I not take advantage of this? Originally, I had a fantasy of staying abroad for a month, but compromised. Challenging myself to a longer solo trip than last year’s, I settled on a three-week trip. Starting in Italy with my daughter for eight days was perfect. Two weeks alone followed. To most solo travelers, I am certain this is not impressive. In my circle of not-so-young women, I’m considered the brave one!
My plan took me to Cremona, Italy, Paris, Lyon, and Rouen in France, and Geneva. Every day brought memorable sights and moments. The nights again brought discomfort. The day before my scheduled return, I looked forward to being home. Really, this solo travel thing is probably too hard for me. Again, the day after I arrived home, I thought, “I’m crazy to give this up!” https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Rome/Paris?search=Rome,Cremona,Lyon,Geneva,Rouen,Paris#trips