Traveling solo has lead to some insightful thoughts and experiences. It is not common to travel solo in Italy (especially for women) In Italy family, friends, the communal spirit is a lifestyle and a culture. So at times I feel the eccentric, peering in from an exterior vantage point. At other times I join in, a willful and invited member and participant.

Traveling single has not been lonely, quite the opposite. The opportunity to engage with others and all that surrounds you heightens. You don’t need to speak the language to make a connection. I relish traveling solo. At least one person is happy! I can sleep in or get up early, go to bed or stay up late, explore on a whim, shop till I drop, be frugal or frivolous, swim naked or fully clothed, hike to the peak or turn around on a hairpin curve, laugh gregariously or be meditative and silent, be outrageous or demure. You can stop and smell every flower along the route.

I'm loving all these roses!

There is an anonymous sense of freedom going solo. You find your own pace and rhythm to each day. I guess you might say traveling solo is unconventional and I like it that way.

You find pieces of yourself that you have not yet explored…or didn’t realize existed. If you don’t decide for yourself what you want to get out of life, someone else will end up deciding for you. Remember, you don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to. So however you care to travel or proceed in life – define your self, cut loose, step out of bounds, leap off the cliff, strip down, be outrageous, take risks, just say yes…and start living life…to it’s fullest.

Salute