When I was 28 years old, I began to realize that my husband of only a few years wasn’t much interested in travelling.
This gnawed at my gut. But I wasn’t willing to restrict my own sense of adventure, so I screwed up my courage and headed out on my own. Simple trips at first – by bus from Edmonton to Calgary to visit my sister and brother-in-law. By plane to see my parents in British Columbia.
Each time I traveled, I got a little braver. My family visits often included solo side trips. I met fascinating people, had interesting experiences, and discovered new sides to myself. I became increasingly self-reliant and self-confident.
A few years later, my husband suddenly announced he wanted to travel solo himself – permanently. I was devastated. But I was already used to vacationing alone, so I reassured myself that I could handle the non-vacation parts of my life on my own as well.
Happily, a lovely new man eventually came along who wanted to share my life and my love of travel. Since then, we’ve had great fun exploring many corners of the world together. But I’ve continued to travel on my own as well. Sometimes, my husband isn’t able to leave his job to come with me. Sometimes, I’m travelling by myself on business and I want to tack on a few days of vacation before I come home. Sometimes, I just need a solo getaway.
I have different kinds of adventures when I travel on my own. The people I’ve met have enriched my life with their stories and their kindness. I’ve embraced cultural experiences around the world – in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Most of all, I don’t want to lose that sense of self-reliance I developed so many years ago, or the many ways that solo travel has helped define who I am.
Some women have said to me, “I don’t think I could ever travel by myself. Don’t you get scared? Don’t you get lonely?” Of course I do. But I also have strategies that pump up my confidence and help me to make connections when I hit the road alone.
This is why I created Wise Woman Travel. I’d be happy to share my strategies with you, and walk along with you as you develop your own.
Wise Woman Travel 