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I hit a milestone this past weekend. I took my first ever solo roundtrip flight to a place. It was not work-related or in any way involuntary. I booked a flight for myself, therefore spending money on a trip without my husband that I did not have to take.
I want to point out that I in no way consider myself to be a solo female traveler. I’m happily married and much prefer to travel with my husband. He’s a great travel companion, and really keeps me calm when things get stressful. Plus, I’m the type of person who gets lonely when they are by themselves for too long, even while being the introvert that I am. I really love being able to share my travel experiences with another person.
That being said, traveling alone is a bit of a hurdle to me. I think it’s the reason why I waited until my mid twenties to really start traveling. It felt selfish to spend money on a trip just for myself, and I didn’t want my husband or anyone else to think I didn’t want to include them. It’s just that when you have big travel goals, and others don’t prioritize it like you do, you end up putting your own dreams on hold while waiting for others.
When I first met my husband, he was not very curious about new destinations, and wasn’t as inspired as me to get out and see the world. I’ve been able to help him expand his horizons to the point where he actually does love to see new places with me now. This year, I even supported him as he volunteered himself for two overseas business trips to China and Belgium. Even though I didn’t go, I thought it was great for us as a couple to jointly have more experience under our belt, as neither of us had been to Asia or continental Europe.
Now, I think it’s time that I support myself in my own travel endeavors. I’ve discussed this at length with my husband, and he fully supports me taking my own trips. At this point, the only thing holding me back is me, and my reluctance to spend travel money on myself. There’s also my many fears I hold inside about traveling alone. It’s so great to already have so many solo female travel role models out there, such as Young Adventuress, Be My Travel Muse, and The Wandering Quinn that help me see that it’s not so scary.
So yes, I took the step of taking my own round trip flight to go visit my sister in Philadelphia. No, this whole entire trip was not solo. Other than my flight and Uber from the airport, I enjoyed sightseeing and frolicking around Philly with my sister and her boyfriend. I really hope to have more visits with them where I bring my husband as well. However, in the future I hope I can find it in me to take a trip I want rather than putting it on the backburner when it doesn’t suit another person’s schedule, needs, or goals.
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At the moment, that’s all I have to say on the matter. I currently have no solo trips booked, but that could change. My mind is always filled with ideas for destinations!
If unease about traveling alone is something you’ve experienced, how did you move past it? Have you ever travelled alone even though you were married for no other reason than because you wanted to? Do tell…
