I notice how your people don’t support you, so I sent you strangers

This message popped up for me on Instagram while I was travelling and it really resonated. I had decided that I wanted to see the world and going solo felt really empowering. I wanted to do only the things I wanted to do, when I wanted to do them, and how I wanted to do them. I needed all of this for me to test myself and give myself space to just be. These eight weeks were a real transformational period for me.

In my travels I met a few fellow solo travelers, all women, who I believe, each had their own message for me.

I boarded the cruise ship in Athens and saw that they were hosting a solo traveler meet up, so I went. There were only about 12 of us and I chatted with everyone. The next morning I blew off my pre-paid excursion because I had a horrible night’s sleep. Instead of the excursion I walked into the town of Mykonos and soon after ran into two of the women from the night before. I ended up spending the next 11 days with them. Andrea and Lorna are two ladies from the south of England that became friends through a Widow and Widowers group. Both had lost their husbands a few years before. They welcomed me to join them for every adventure. I hadn’t realized how lonely I might be so it was nice to have instant pals!

Andrea is bold, adventurous and direct. She got along with everyone and I doubt ever experienced a feeling of not belonging. And probably never took anything personally in her life. She is very empowering.

Lorna is a lovely woman who was sweet and kind and accepting of everyone. I think that she faced some harder truths in her life and realized that we each make our own happiness.
Once we parted ways, I missed them both instantly and look forward to meeting up again one day. They were certainly a bright light on my path.

My travels took me through France and into Italy and on October 25th I arrived in Bologna. Once I dropped my stuff off at the hotel I walked into the city and explored for a few hours. I returned to the hotel and took an elevator with a young woman whom I ended up chatting with over cigarettes for like 2 hours. She was only 24 and a flight attendant for Emirates. She is from Paris and had a boyfriend there waiting for her but for now was fulfilling a goal to see the world before she settled down to raise a family. Not only was she beautiful but also smart. With a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. Like Andrea and Lorna, she too was pro woman and all for independence and confidence. I never asked her name but she showed me how important it is to have goals and consider your own needs and modify them when needed, as you travel through your life.

Shortly after I met this young lady, I went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. As I was alone, I wanted to be discreet and took a table in the corner so I could look out over the dining area at the other guests. I ordered my meal and shortly afterward a single woman came and sat at the table next to me. I waited a bit and when I caught her eye I asked if she too was travelling alone. She said yes and a few minutes later I moved over to her table to sit with her and have a conversation. Natascha is Austrian and travelling to Siena for an Ayurvedic retreat. I found it all captivating. As a spiritual seeker, I of course, know about Ayurveda. I had never heard of a full retreat though. She explained the itinerary for her week and it sounded sublime. She would be examined each day by the doctor who would then prescribe any one of a bunch of treatments. There was an assortment of massages and hot oil drips on the third eye as well as acupuncture, meditation, yoga, shiatsu and pranayama. It all sounds delicious! She decided to try this because two years ago she did a similar one in Sri Lanka, and loved it. Wow!
We decided to meet the next morning to walk around the city together. We were searching for a local food market and instead found a tour of a nearby basilica. We bought tickets and went to find a cappuccino before the group left. That’s when we met Jessica. Jessica had come to Italy to find out more info about her grandparents who were born in Italy.
We went to the basilica together and decided to meet again for dinner that night. We shared some great conversation over a trio of pasta dishes and an awesome tiramisu. They both had amazing travel stories and it gave me ideas for future travel.
Jessica gifted each of us with a small ”Dulce de Leche” that she had brought with her from Argentina as a way to share her culture with those she met. We exchanged phone numbers and said that we would stay in touch. We were friends for only 24 hours but I learned lessons from both of them.

Natascha was interested in learning more about spirituality and growing in that direction. I shared with her about my meditation practice giving pointers and procedures, as she didn’t have a strong practice yet. And she shared about her Ayurveda experience.
From Jessica I learned the importance of knowing and acknowledging your roots and how you’ve come to be who you are. They taught me that we are all guides for each other on our life journey.

I spent the next week travelling through Tuscany. It’s a stunningly beautiful area with some interesting history. And I say that because I stayed for a couple of nights in a medieval walled city that was nothing short of creepy. But that’s a tale for another time.

On to Madrid for a tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. I arrived to my hotel in Madrid on Saturday, 11/2 and went almost immediately to the check in meeting for the tour. There weren’t too many empty seats but I found one next to Bonita. We hit it off immediately and then sat together for the bus ride and the welcome dinner. I found out that she is from Pennsylvania, Christian and was in the Army. We hung out together for the next 15 days.

November 5th was the US election and on the 6th, Bonita mentioned that no one on the tour was talking about the results. I didn’t know what to say. I had suspected that she and I were on opposite sides of the aisle. I came to learn that was not true. We held the same beliefs. This was a good lesson in how not to choose a book by its cover. I learned from Bonita that we should all be well informed and able to stand up for what we believe in.

Bonita and I also hung around with Mechelle. Mechelle is from Australia, and had lost her husband suddenly in June and only decided 3 weeks before to go on this trip. There was a small group of solo travellers on the trip and we all stuck together.
On the second day in Madrid I opted out of the planned excursion so that I could walk round the city and experience it more like a local. I had a great day walking and exploring, ending up at the most beautiful park. On the way back to the hotel I was trying to find a dinner spot when I saw Mechelle and asked if we should dine together. I was so glad that we did. We talked about our lives and I told her of all the reasons why I had set out on my journey alone in the first place. It all made sense to her, she was supportive, and had the most wonderful trinkets of guidance. She offered that maybe this was the perfect time and place to see the changes that I hoped for in my life. She was full of wisdom and understanding and I felt so validated after our chat. What an incredible gift from someone that I’d only just met!

Also on this trip and part of our small solo travelers group was Joanne. She is a calm, classic and gentle woman who had just moved back to Philly after living in Mexico for 23 years. Joanne was 87 and travelling on her own so that she could expand her horizons. Not only had she spent all that time in Mexico on her own but now travelling to far corners of the earth. What an inspiration she was to all of us. I hope and plan that as I age, I will have some of that zest for life!

I set off alone just trusting in the universe to guide me and give me what I needed at this time. And the universe delivered in a way that I could not have expected by sending me all these amazing women to share the secrets of their lives and help me to become the complete person that I’m meant to be……