There are so many reasons to travel alone. I could go on and on about them. In fact, I will. That's the purpose of this blog. To "talk," not just about how to set out alone, but why.
Friends tell me I'm brave to do it. C'mon, now. Neil Armstrong was brave. Ulysses S. Grant was brave. The guy who invented bungee jumping and decided to be the first off the bridge was brave. Me? I just like to travel. It was really irritating not to be able to go places I wanted to go because I couldn't find friends to go with me.
You know the story. They're busy. They're poor. They want to stay in five-star hotels. Or they want to stay only in Motel 6's (okay, I don't have too many of those sorts of friends). They don't like getting dirty, so camping is out. They don't bike or they don't boat or they don't do Asia. Whatever. I got tired of hunting for travel companions to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.
Brave? HA! I'm apprehensive before every trip I take. Even though I'm experienced enough to know that the minute I land I'm happy and excited to be there. I compare it to the time I tried the flying trapeze at a Club Med in Mexico. Standing on the platform, I thought my head would explode from the pounding fear. Yet, the second I finally jumped off, and was flying through the air, the fear left me immediately. But a few days before any trip, I'm standing on the same damn platform.
I'm just grateful I always jump. The pre-trip feeling is incredibly uncomfortable, but so far I haven't allowed it to stop me. Neither should you.
Photo courtesy of Club Med
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