Boldly Go Solo
How to set out solo, but not travel alone: Trips, tips and ideas for the active traveler.
Category: Fear, and some loathing
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Maria was on her own, in "the cutest little pub I’d ever seen," when the bartender poured her a Guinness she hadn’t ordered. She was perplexed. Then the bartender told her it was from three Irish guys who noticed she was alone at the bar. She’d never had a drink sent her way by a…
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Solo travelers sometimes feel sorry for themselves. They look around and think everyone's luckier than they are. "Look at 'em. They're all paired up. Except for me. Waahhh." Hey, plant this idea in your head instead. I was at a formal work dinner, chatting with a nice businessman, telling him about my blog. Don't know…
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Reading about tonight’s total eclipse of the moon reminded me of an assignment I had several years ago. It was during the Leonid Meteor Shower of 2001. I was in Niagara Falls doing a story for The Washington Post. At some ungodly hour, I dragged my sorry self out of a hotel bed. I wanted…
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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…
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Shy people travel solo too. So says Catherine Bodry, a self-admitted, eyes-cast-down kind of person. I don’t recommend her way of coping: tears, phone calls home and beer. To "overcome my small-talk impairedness," she says. But I do like an idea she mentions. Joining a guesthouse tour. You’ll likely spend some time with other people…
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Virtually everyone who travels alone feels apprehension before a trip. The difference between the solo traveler and the dreamer who never gets out the door? The ability to push past the fear. Even veteran travelers admit to experiencing that dread. The following question appeared recently on a listserv for travel writers: "Every single time I…
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9:30 am, Houston. Having one of those "poor me" moments while rushing to make the connection to Tucson. Why was I going to all this trouble, flying to join a bunch of strangers at a spa? All alone. I think about home and it seems so cozy and inviting. Typical day one for me. Just…
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The day before a vacation is my least favorite day of the whole thing. Usually followed by my first day of that vacation. Packing always seems a little daunting, despite the fact I finally put together a check list. so I don’t have to search my brain for everything I have to throw into the…
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A couple of decades ago, nervous as hell, I decided to go alone on a biking and river rafting trip in Utah. I hadn't managed to talk any friends into vacationing with me but I really, really wanted to try river rafting. I chose a mountain biking and rafting trip through Holiday River Expeditions. I…
Boldly Go Solo 