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The first time ItraveledbymyselfI was 19 years old.
Photo: Getty Images
This was the summer of 1994 and Id been backpacking around Europe for three months with my friend Ang.
My memory of those few days is one of alarming, scorching solitude, even in crowded hostels.
Its a memory so intense that it crowds out whatever else I saw or did during that time.
In this, Im far from alone.
Solo travel has become increasingly common among women.
(Or, I suppose, some measure of Katharine Hepburns unrelenting iconoclastic status.)
When asked, here are a few of the tips I give people.
That means air travel to and from, andhotelsand/orAirbnbs, etc.
But beyond that, I leave the majority of my time unscheduled.
Not to mention, it increasingly takes effort not to know.
It takes effort to leave yourself in a place of discovery.
Im nearly 50 everyone knows someone.
Some of my greatest friendships have come from blind friend-date set-ups.
Age really is just a number
Related!
Dont discriminate around age.
Key to this: dont hesitate to say what you want (and what you dont want!).
I want someone to show me around.
I want a drink.
I want someone to speak the language to me for an hour.
And then when people respond, ask them what they have in mind.
Dating is not a life sentence.
Lots of people just want someone interesting to spend an afternoon with.
How does one not eat alone?
Ive always considered my ability to take myself out to dinner to be a measure of my own success.
Its more likely there a lot of people silently wishing they could be you.
Be alone
There is a very big difference between feeling lonely and being alone.
Even just for an afternoon.
Let the solitude be your companion (or lover, as the case may be).
Dont perform your holiday
Get off your phone!
Real life is great.
Try and keep all your travel there as much as possible.
Its the trying that counts, not the doing it well.
The printed book will follow in 2025.
