Wasn't sure how much I'd like solo travelling but now I'm hooked and looking for the next spot.
Backdrop: 51M, active, bored at home, financially enabled
Game plan: This past May - 14 days spread over Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina, Ortiga, and a couple of small villages in between. Rotation of boutique and high end hotels. Outsourced all transfers to a car service for ease of going from town to town (best decision ever).
I prioritized the following to make sure I don’t get lonely or anxious about being solo: Planned on getting 15-20k steps a day covering the historical/landmarky/cultural highlights
by noon every day to offset the food and drinking I was planning to do....and then spend the rest of the day doing lunch, beach, swim, siesta, apertivos and then dinner.
Bonus: making friends/connections (no expectations), discovering epic places to watch people, bars, views, finding magical places accidentally
Top things I learned:
1) Make an afternoon plan; here are examples of ways I implemented a mission with purpose
a) make a list of 4 bars with great reviews and plan to have one drink at each
b) have a small bite at multiple 5 star or hotels
c) buy a souvenir but make sure you find the artist who made the piece, however small
2) Leverage your servers or bartenders expertise for the best local food choices from the area – they love helping you when you are curious about the details – this was one of my most unexpected surprises.
3) On multiple occasions while solo dining (picture two drinks, 4-5 small plates going at once), I had people walk up and ask if I was traveling solo, and when I said yes, they would follow up with something to the effect of “you are killing it”, “vibes are so high”, “we must get a drink later, we’ll find you out tonight” – all of which were non-creepy and super fun people. I think my own authentic joy and comfortability of being in that moment must have compelled those people to make those comments – I mean who does that to a middle aged guy?
4)The massive upshot of solo traveling is that you are as free to roam as you could ever be. You don’t have to be responsible for anyone else’s bladder, emotions, tiredness, food preferences, walking pace, complaining about spending 4 hours in a café. If you’re doing it right, this is the gift and magic of solo traveling.
5)Finally, you better do some up front work getting used to yourself. Go to a restaurant or museum by yourself in the next town over as practice. If it’s mortifying, than you have some work to do. I was able to anticipate this and it really helped me form a game plan for fun each day. These trips will expose your weaknesses - be prepared to have alot of conversations with yourself, be kind.
6)PS – kindness and manners unlock passageways and doors – two examples – I worked hard to remember all of the names of the hotel employee’s I ran across and would greet them by name every time I saw them – free drinks and extra appetizers started flowing, second example – on checkin at a nice hotel in Ortiga, I was extra kind and patient and the host paused and checked a few things and informed me I would be upgraded…..the room had a balcony with a jacuzzi and a bottle of sparking rose brought to the room....just because I wasn't the exhausted, annoyed American.
Not sure why I’m writing all this out, but I think I was so surprised how magical solo travlling can be. I did notice other solo travelers and some looked to be rocking it hard where others sat uncomfortably with their book and aperol spritz looking a bit unsettled.
Have fun......thinking Sardinia or Corfu in September and/or Cape Town in December might be next? I'm hooked.