What could be worse than being the one and only single person at an "intimate couples retreat" in the Poconos? Especially one that promotes itself like this:
"Looking for a lovers' paradise for your honeymoon or romantic getaway? Look no further than our Cove Haven Resort."
I was that single person. At a resort with heart-shaped tubs and two-story tall champagne-glass Jacuzzis. Along with dozens of honeymooning couples. And others celebrating anniversaries. 
The answer to the opening question is this: along with getting a cavity filled without novocaine, slipping on ice and cracking my head open, and suffering with a migraine for eternity, I actually could easily name hundreds more things that could be worse. Probably thousands.
You know why? Because I had plenty of giggles. Read the story for more about flying solo at a couples resort.
Am I recommending this? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I was there as a professional. (As in professional travel writer). Do not, I repeat, DO NOT try this at home. Or away. I was there as an observer. I had a reason to go.
Even as an observer, joining a table of six
couples in a roomful of all couples was a tad nerve-wracking. A case of
"which of these objects is not like the other one?"
Each square table in the cavernous dining room was set to accommodate four couples. At each side, the pair of chairs was pushed tightly together. Presumably so the couples are close enough to hold hands. Or grope each other. Who knows?
The chair next to mine was the one and only empty chair. Of any pair of chairs. At any table.
Why
am I telling you this tale? Just in time for Valentine's Day, no less?
Because this is the ultimate nightmare for many solo travelers. They
dread ending up traveling in a world of couples. They
envision misery. So they don't go.
Yet, what I found on my little venture, in what is easily the worst possible choice of a vacation for a solo traveler, was that the people were friendly. And the situation was funny.
One more night and I'm guessing I would have become a
celebrity. "Hey, did you see the single woman on campus?" Or, a freak. It was a
fine line.
Yes, I was an oddity. That doesn't mean people weren't interested in talking to me. Partly
because I am a travel writer and that was intriguing to many.
But also because none of the dining couples
knew each other before their vacation. So everyone was talking to
strangers. It didn't matter that I didn't have a significant other
along.
Beyond the weirdness of the whole experience, I found rewards. On the way back from dinner, I was stopped by the sight of five deer milling in front of the door to my room. (The resort
consists of several unattached buildings and the doors go to the outside, not a lobby.)
I didn't want them to scatter right away, so I stayed still. The sky was filled with a gazillion stars. I stood, steam
coming out of my nose in the frigid air. I searched for constellations.
When the cold finally
got to me I walked toward the door, sending the deer into the woods. Then I had a soak in my
champagne-glass whirlpool tub. Then I got into my round bed and turned on the night sky lights, illuminating fake constellations in the mirrored
ceiling (giggle).
Would I ever go back on my own, not on assignment? Do I even need to answer that?
But with the right attitude, I've realized I can have fun in the strangest situations. I had a
reason to be at a couples resort, so I didn't feel stupid being there alone. If I'd gone for fun I'd have felt ridiculous.
When I go solo on biking trips or other active vacations, I go with the attitude that I'm treating myself to a nice trip. I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on whether couples will look at me strangely.
I hope I meet great people. But if I don't, I'm off doing something I love.
Photo credit: Cove Haven Resort
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