Have you ever considered traveling alone? For some it may be out of your comfort zone and for others you may do it all the time. I’m in the category of I’ve traveled quite often by myself and I”m not afraid to step out of the box. At times I wish I had a travel companion and other times I truly want the solitude. During those times I tend to disconnect from most of the electronics and get out of my comfort zone, whatever that may be. I recently decided I needed a weekend away. By myself. Just me, my camera, ok I did bring a cell phone, and not many plans. To say some of my friends were confused by this is putting it mildly. It was if I had offended them since I didn’t ask them to come with me, but I knew I had to go alone. I didn’t travel far this time – just to northern Minnesota a few hours away. But it’s peaceful and away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I didn’t have to talk to anyone if I didn’t want to. I went for walks among the trees and along the lake and saw eagles soaring up above and loons calling from the lake.
I tell my friends who aren’t used to traveling alone that they should give it a try. A person tends to look at things differently and you open yourself up to experiences you might not have if you were with a traveling companion. There’s no “what are we going to do today” questions, it’s what do I want to do, and when. I have found to have some really amazing experiences when traveling alone. A person tends to get to know the locals and find out what their favorite places are, not what’s written in some brochure telling you where to go. And you tend to pick up new friends along the way like I did when I went up north. I met a great group of women and we bonded over a game of bingo at a local bar, which then turned into me doing karaoke for the first time. Since then we’ve met up a few times and have gone to a winery, some boutique shopping, boating, a barbecue and gone to listen to a live band. All of which I most likely would never had happened if I didn’t travel alone.
I need to start thinking of where I want my next adventure to be.