Travel alone: The Lightness of Being
Travel alone can be a lot of fun. Not that I don’t like traveling with my husband, family or friends. But travelling alone has a special quality. But you have to recognize that first and then practice.
When I was a teenager, traveling with a bunch of peers seemed like a lot of fun, but it was not an accessible option for me. My father wouldn’t have allowed it anyway. I also had girlfriends, but no real clique, because father strictly forbade any activities with people of the same age – and especially with boys. I could have been spoiled there, maybe learned something that I did not yet know.
When I finally liberated myself – forcibly and of course without my father’s blessing – the time of sworn cliques was a thing of the past. Everybody traveled with his beloved one. I also. To travel alone would have been an inexcusable flaw in the eyes of the others and would have looked like you had no one to travel with. And in truth, not one of us would have dared to travel alone in these times.
My first solo trip
It was many years later, my first marriage was already broken up, that I found out how relaxing and conflict-free it is to travel alone – with only yourself. You don’t need to be considerate of anyone, you don’t need to compromise, you can do whatever you want. I still remember my first solo trip very well. I went to Verona. I wanted to have dinner in a highly rated restaurant at the end of the famous Piazza delle Erbe. “Are you alone, Signora,” asked the waiter in astonishment and looked over my shoulder to see if someone else would follow me after all. When I nodded, I still got one of the elegant white set tables – not the most beautiful, but at least …
The waiter took care of me all evening, probably feeling sorry for the “bella signora” that travelles alone. Whenever his time allowed, he stood by my table and entertained me. That was soon a bit too much for me and I would have loved to have occupied myself with my food, which, by the way, was excellent. And it was also too late to pretend I wouldn’t speak Italian. On the other hand, I didn’t dare just send him away. He meant it nicely.… weiterlesen
CultureAndCream Author from Munich
To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn’t do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don’t know yet. But I am not only interested in “culture” and “cream”, I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell . Such unique experiences I want to share with you.