By Judith Glynn – travel writer and author
Travel Alone?
I bet you’ve thought about traveling alone but you just don’t take risks any more. So you’ve become a bore talking about what you used to do. Or maybe your rut is an unending family life, enough to yearn for your time. If yes, jolt that inner you and plan a trip alone. Terrified? Don’t be. I guarantee you’ll return as your own best friend. Your confidence level will soar. You’ll learn resilience, self-love and the art of conversation. So much so, the next trip is planned before you arrive home. Here are a few tips to get you going.
So Many Choices
Start off with a few days away close to home if you’re nervous about a radical change. Rethink your comfort levels and envision a longer trip. See yourself in a metropolis if the boonies are home. Exchange city concrete for small towns but don’t isolate yourself. Avoid romantic places. If you’re a foodie, book a culinary tour. Sign up for a home exchange. Remember, it’s the journey that creates memories, not the destination. Yours should include unfamiliar terrain and eye contract with strangers.
How Do I Plan?
Zero in on your destination using Google Earth. It’s the perfect way to acclimate your eyes before your feet arrive. Single-traveler guidebooks help with plans as does journeywoman.com and Facebook’s SoloTravelSociety. KLM, Air Alaska and Malaysia Airlines offer deals and seatmate choices using Facebook profiles. Be sure to research local customs in foreign lands, especially those affecting women, because you don’t want to stand out. Become a minimalist packer, adding a small first aid kit and check out travel insurance options. Make copies of your passport, license and credit cards and separate them from your luggage or email them to yourself as an attachment. Travel with a laptop, camera and cell phone, if possible. Check charges for international calls. I often purchase a cheap cell phone locally, loaded with free minutes and pay as I go. Use free Internet Skype for calls to avoid costly hotel phones.
I’m Here, Now What?
Hit the ground walking, limit cabs to nighttime, and purchase a multi-pass for public transportation. Travel with the locals, so to speak. Dress comfortably and wear good shoes. Take a half-day city tour, noting where to return for spots you like. Start talking to fellow travelers. Hire a personal guide for several hours or join a walking tour. Some destinations offer free neighborhood tours given by locals. Keep talking there, too. Tourist bureaus list daily events, ticket discounts and so forth. Stroll through museums. Shop Mom and Pop stores, buying local take-out food. Vow not to return to your lonely room until you’re exhausted. Write out an itinerary for the next day.
I Dread Eating Alone
A table for one is challenging. Practice dining alone in your home town. At your destination, bring a book that first night. Then put it away and jot notes on a pad or photograph your food. Mysterious people can solicit questions from other diners. Talk to couples, more to the woman, and ask for traveler’s advice. Seek out local places with cramped tables. Last resort, stay in a Bed and Breakfast and eat with other guests.
How Do I Meet People
Sign up for meetup.com, select an interest and attend local meetings. Talk to seatmates on a plane, bus, ship, train—anywhere. You’ll be surprised at what they share. If your stay is lengthy, open a museum membership and attend newcomers’ night and lectures. Many city libraries have fantastic free events. Ask friends for friend referrals in your destination. Suffer through a foreign language class but participate in student outings. Take flamenco lessons in Madrid; whizz along rip lines in Cancun; drink in Irish pubs; ride a camel; snorkel in Hawaii — you get the message.
He Looks Interesting
A divine romantic encounter can happen on the road between mature adults. One night when dining alone, I asked the waiter to pass my business card and message to a dashing man at a nearby table. He was delighted to join mine, and we walked for hours afterwards. A man checking into my Dublin hotel stood beside me and heard my room number at the registration desk. He called and our dinner led to a seven-year, long-distance romance. I met a charming seatmate traveling to Madrid. That happenstance romance led to my novel. If you prefer friendship only, make that clear upfront if he misinterprets your smile. Always pack condoms just in case.
Follow Your Gut
If you do travel with a stranger from the road, fine tune your intuition. Remember conversations, listening for lies and incomplete stories. Don’t pay for everything. Don’t appear lonely. Avoid getting drunk. Verify a luggage tag or a business card using the Internet when your companion isn’t looking. Email a friend detailing who you’re with and where you’ll be on a daily basis. Stay out of remote areas if you sense danger. Reject paranoid, just be cautious.
Indulge Yourself
Risk a haircut in a salon where no one speaks English. Purchase original art for a wall back home, promising you’ll add to the collection. Pack a sharp outfit and wear perfume your last night alone with your new best friend — you. Sip wine at outdoor cafes and toast your independence. Take that last wad of leftover cash and blow it on something you’d never buy or do at home.
So, there you have it. A few hints from a seasoned woman and solo travel writer. Of course I’ve had bummer events on the road. I spent five days alone in a foreign hotel room with the severe and debilitating Norovirus. I’ve met my share of creeps, kissed a few too. I’ve been robbed. I’ve missed planes. One of them cost me a seven-hour wait in a dinky terminal and a hefty rebooking charge for the next flight out. What I’ve never experienced is sorrow because I took a solitary trip. Just think of all the adventures, trivial facts and new acquaintances I’ve amassed through the years. In fact, when people ask to go along with me on my next trip, I cringe. So will you once you get the hang of traveling alone.
About the Author:
Judith Glynn, is a sassy, independent woman whose life as a travel writer has exposed her to exotic art, food and culture. She has written countless freelance travel articles over a 30-year span that began with newspaper travel sections nationwide. Today, her articles appear on the Web and in select publications. She writes constantly, never held a full-time job and is a seasoned entrepreneurial business woman. Judith adores being a mother and grandmother with homes in New York City, Rhode Island and her latest travel destination. Currently, she is writing a memoir about her encounter with a homeless woman in New York City and the odyssey that returned the woman to her family in Italy. To learn more, please visit Glynn at www.judithglynn.com.
A Collector of Affection: Tales from a Woman’s Heart is available online at Amazon.com
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