I'm A Leavin'....

...on a jet plane...

On Friday, I board a plane for San Diego. I put in a day's work, drive back to the town I call home and catch the commuter bus to the airport. $30/round trip and free parking - can't beat that deal. Although I am going to spend a fun and frolic weekend with a fun and frolicking person, I am travelling alone. I fly alone, I have a nice hotel room that I alone will occupy and I return alone. And it doesn't bother me one bit.

When I was married, I traveled with my husband and I found I had the taste for getting out and seeing the country/world. Upon our divorce, I had little time or resources for travel. I had to work long and hard to simply survive; there was nothing left for luxuries like a vacation trip. But, at this time in my life, I find that I have a few extra dollars and minutes to put towards seeing the world. This is now a goal.


I began my newfound independence with a walking vacation in Ireland. A walking vacation is a trip where you hike to see the sights and experience the culture of an area. You do get shuttled to hiking spots and certain points of interest, but you can count on 5-10 miles or so each day of walking. I chose this vacation as it provided me with much-desired activity, was in a beautiful part of the world (Ireland's west coast), English was the language of choice and the price (even with single supplement) was right. No, I did not choose to save a few hundred dollars and share a room with a stranger. I knew no one, but met wonderful people in the group that formed our tour. Sometimes I stayed with them. Other times, I set out on my own. It was such a wonderful experience that I immediately booked a trip with the same company to Switzerland for the following summmer. You can view some of my what my eyes saw by perusing a few images from my trip...

That trip was not to be. I can't complain, really, in that the reason for its cancellation was the purchase of this new residence. I realized that there was no possibility of conducting all of my moving out, moving in, closing on the condo, etc. and do a European vacation in the span of 2 weeks. C'est la vie. La vie also prompted me to cancel a second vacation that I had slated for August of that year - a Caribbean cruise.
I realized, again, that time was going to be an issue. I had to unpack boxes, provision my new home, decorate and still find time to just absorb the newness of my experience before the onset of the new school year. I knew that if my home was in utter chaos when the year began, it would never be "right." The issue, though, is that both of these trips were slated to be taken alone. Just me. My choice of destinations, my choice of luxury-level, my choice of dates, my choice of choices.

Did it bother me to go abroad alone? Actually, I never gave it a second thought. I have never been one to think twice about embarking on projects or undertaking experiences. If I want to do it - I will. If it involves education, I will learn. If it involves money, I will save. If it involves time, I will commit. It is never a question of "Will I?" but rather "How Will I?" Planning, researching, booking...actually enjoyable. Flying, driving, boating...exciting. Sightseeing, learning, experiencing...enriching. The sights I see are with my own eyes; the sounds I hear are with my own ears, the conversations I have engage my own brain, tongue and lungs; the growth I experience shapes only me. Therefore, any adventure can be considered one that is taken alone, even if one is paired or grouped with fellow humans.

Ultimately, why should I shortchange myself simply because I am a single woman? My life is MINE. I am the one to whom I must answer at the end of my days. Any experience that I do not have, I will not have. To shy away from things that I know I will enjoy is the height of lunacy. If I were to wait for others for my life's enjoyment, I would not have a very enjoyable life. I would not have seen the things I have seen, participated in the festivities in which I have reveled, created things that my hands have crafted. I wanted to learn stained glass - did it. Wanted to learn to scuba dive - did it. Wanted to learn HTML and CSS - did it. Wanted to travel to Europe - did it. Wanted to buy a house - did it. Did it...Did it...Did it...

That should be on my tombstone - She Did It. Let posterity wonder, though, just what "It" was...