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So, for the last year, you and your best friend
have been planning a dreamy adventure to Costa Rica. The two of you have
passed many a night together, listening to cold, wet rain run down the
windows as you sat inside sipping wine and planning for the tropical
temperatures and adventures ahead. Soon, you kept telling yourselves.
Soon we'll be lying on the sand, thawing in the warm, healing sun,
trekking through rainforests, and ogling gorgeous Latin American men.
Soon.
But then your friend pulls out. She calls you up
one night, four weeks before you're supposed to leave, and says that she
just can't get away from work. Lo siento.
So what to do? You have a plane ticket, hotel
reservations, you've lost 5 pounds to shine in your new bikini, and you
have adventures in your head that simply must be lived out.
Go solo, girlfriend. That's what you're to do.
To many people, especially women, the prospect of
traveling alone is a scary one. I know this because I travel alone all
the time, and like clockwork, I'm always scared right before I get on
that plane, all by myself, and fly into the great unknown. But I always
manage to work through my doubts and fears, I do always get on that
plane, and I do always end up having a fabulous time.
You see, traveling alone has many advantages. Sure
it may sound scary, it may sound lonely. It may even sound dangerous.
But as long as you keep your head about you, it can be quite a rewarding
experience. Life-changing, even.
First of all, just because you start the trip alone
doesn't mean you'll be traveling alone. Travelers hook up, it's the
nature of the beast. You're in a foreign country, you stand out with
your wrinkled clothes and water bottle, and chances are you'll be
hanging out in traveler hot spots at least some of the time. Whether
these are tourist attractions, guesthouses or restaurants that serve
muesli and banana pancakes, you'll find your solo self surprisingly
surrounded by people just like you, doing exactly what you're doing.
These experiences are all part of your travel adventure: Meeting people
and then bumping into them again and again, making new friends and
filling your travel journal with addresses from all over the world, and
learning more about different cultures and countries than you ever
imagined possible.
Another advantage of flying solo is the
unrestrained indulgence in pure, precious freedom. You're in an
exciting, foreign land; you can do whatever you want, whenever you want,
with whomever you want. You can hook up with the other travelers waiting
for the same bus, or you can sit alone. You can accept an invitation to
go mountain biking for a week in an area you've never heard of before,
or you can hang in a cafe and people watch all day. Your singlehood is a
ticket to slip in and out of social circles and circumstances with ease,
never second-guessing yourself, just going with the flow and taking it
as it comes. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is yet another very
important part of your travel adventure: Allowing life to just happen,
rather than always trying to control it. Being in the moment.
Traveling solo can also help you meet local folks,
a sure-fire highlight of any trip. Believe me, if you wander about town
alone, sooner or later someone s going to approach you and ask you to
coffee, dinner at their house, maybe to meet their family. Who knows,
you could suddenly wind up at somebody's cousin's wedding, surrounded by
450 of the nicest strangers you've ever met! A single traveler is just
less intimidating to approach than a large, loud group; and if you're
open to learning about the local flavor (which you always should be),
going solo can really help you on your way.
But aside from all the fabulous social benefits,
perhaps one of the best things about traveling alone is that it teaches
you about your wonderful self. That's right adventure divas, traveling
alone takes you on an interworldly journey that ultimately leads you
right smack into yourself. There's no one to make your decisions for
you, no one to reaffirm you did the right thing, no one to blame, and no
one to whine to after the 12th hour of a rattling bus trip. You make
your own decisions based on your sharp wit and instinct; and you must
live with these decisions, even if you end up in a piss-ass border town
and hide out in your room all day waiting for the next bus to take you
the hell out of there. You'll get yourself through the tough times, and
take full credit for the good ones. You'll learn to depend on yourself,
listen to yourself, and respect yourself; and you'll return home
stronger, more confident, and oh-so much wiser. It's amazing how you
learn to love yourself when you're the only one you've got!
So, ready to go yet? Well, before you do hop on
that plane all by yourself, please remember that you must take
precautions, and you must keep your wits about you at all times. Sure,
traveling alone is fun and adventurous, but only when it's safe. Even
before you leave home, do your research, learn about potential dangers
in the area you'll be visiting and societal attitudes toward women.
Simply said, there are worlds even the most adventurous gals may not
want to brave alone. Many travel guides offer some advice as to what
women can expect in a specific country, but for first-hand information
from people who have recently been there, get online and check out
travel message boards such as you can find on
Lonelyplanet.com
and
Adventure
Divas.
But don't be afraid. Just be your smart self.
There's an entire planet out there for you to learn from and explore,
and you don't have to wait for the perfect travel partner to come along
to get your adventure underway. Remember, one of the hardest parts about
traveling alone is just getting on that plane. But when it lands
way-too-many hours later, it's a whole new world, baby.
A whole new wonderful world. Go with it.
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