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When You Choose To Go It Alone
Lessons from three solo trips in one year.
When my ex-husband and I first went to Napa Valley, the woman in the cottage next to us was alone. His first assumption was that she booked the trip with her significant other and they broke up but, to avoid wasting money on a non-refundable room, she went alone and spent all day crying in the cottage.
My guess was far less depressing: She was a writer and had retreated to Napa Valley to work on her novel. I was sure it was a murder mystery.
Ten years later, I was a solo woman writing in a cottage in Napa Valley.
Last year, I took three vacations by myself. That is three more than I have ever taken by myself in my entire life. I flew to Savannah, GA for a music festival. I camped in a vineyard in Southern Arizona (yes, that’s a thing) during crush, and savored the best that Napa Valley had to offer.
It was never scary, even when I opened my tent and found a tarantula. I felt bold. I felt empowered. I also felt horribly alone at times. I plan on taking many more solo vacations. I’m just a bit wiser about it. I’ve learned a few things.
