Boldly Go Solo

Irene is going to be on her own in Rome for two days before going to Florence. For an Italian language course.

(Hm, she didn’t happen to just finish reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by any chance? For the three of you who haven’t yet read that very popular book – among women, at least – it starts off with the story of a woman studying Italian in Italy. I salivated through the first third of the book as she described all the food she was eating.)

So Irene does what any woman (or man) of the 00’s should do: she goes online to do research. She asks people at the Fodor’s Web site where are the best/safest places for a middle-aged woman to stay on her own in Rome. 

From that posting, she got 13 responses from knowledgeable travelers, and made a choice based on their assistance. Her response to the people who shared their knowledge:

Thank you to all the helpful people with great information. On the basis of your input I have decided to book at hotel Smeraldo…your generosity in answering my questions is much appreciated. If anyone ever wants to make the long trek out to Australia, and has questions, I would be happy to reciprocate."

And you know she would too. That’s the kind of exchange that travelers are happy to engage in.

As for Irene’s journey, she is taking my ideal kind of trip. She sets out solo and explores a new city on her own. If she starts to feel lonely, she knows that within a few days, she will meet a slew of people in her Italian classes. She likely will have company for dinner if she wants it, and people to do things with. Perfetto.