It has been months since I've really traveled (Indiana for Thanksgiving and Christmas don't count). Needless to say, I've got the bug and I'm ready for my next adventure! Plans for a trip to Greece in September 2011 are already underway, but my lovable idiosyncratic to-do lists, maps, and bucket lists have got me thinking ahead to my next destination.
Some obstacles:
1. Money. I've got rent, bills, taxes- you know the drill- on top of my semi- jet setting lifestyle. Not to mention siphoning part of my paycheck to my savings account. All of the above is making me depressed. Moving on...
2. Time. There is never a good time to take a vacation. Work gets in the way of life; there's always something important to get done. Boooo.
3. Finding a travel buddy. See points 1 and 2. It is very difficult to find a person who is on the same page as you monetarily and time-wise. Do you have a similar budget for the trip? How many days vacation do they get? Do the vacation times coincide? Also, said person has to have a similar travel temperament. It's all about the proper mesh- if you don't have it, the trip is going to suck.
So all that being said... why not travel alone? I came across an article in the Travel section of the Washington Post about flying solo and I must say I've always been intrigued with making the bold move to travel abroad on my own. Set a budget and go. Put in vacay and go. Pack a suitcase and go.
I've gotten push back from people I've run the idea by- mainly the it's-not-safe-for-a-woman-to-travel-abroad-alone one. Gross. Are we not already an entire decade into the 21st century? I truly understand their concerns (I saw the movie Taken, after all). But why deny the opportunity to branch out on your own and do something incredible for yourself? You know, get a chance to take everything in at your own pace. Sit, read, write, draw. Experience the world on your terms.
"Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone." -The Dhammapada
