Solo travel is one of the most invigorating and liberating things one can do. Especially as a woman. I hear all the time how brave I am, how scared they are to travel solo, and how they wish they had the courage to go. A frequent question I get is what made me start traveling solo. The answer is simple: I got tired. Tired of people canceling on trips at the last minute and waiting on when someone else could go. In 2015, the company I worked shutdown twice a year. So I decided to take advantage and spend Christmas in Paris. I asked a number of people to go, offered to pay for their accommodations, and a tour while we’re there. No one accepted. So I started to think, what am I waiting for and why not go solo. I did some research, brushed up on my French (which was a bit rusty), and decided I could do this. In a French group I joined, one of the ladies traveled often and solo to Paris. She talked about how cosmopolitan was easy to navigate. Right then and there I was sold and excited to go. Now I only have three months to go on my trip which I’m both nervous and excited about. In October of 2015, there was an unfortunate terrorist attack and so many of my loved ones advised against going. Honestly, I wasn’t scared to go but the fear from those around me started to weigh in. I remember calling Delta and asking the agent about canceling my trip because of this. Mind you, this was before change fees went away. It was like talking to a friend I’ve had for years. She gave some interesting insight and told me she thought I should still go, but offered to waive the fees if I wanted to cancel. Following that, there were two women who encouraged me to go. The first was my aunt Debbie who didn’t focus on the recent tragedies, but instead focused on the positive and why I should do it. She mentioned that these things usually don’t happen twice in the same location back to back and mentioned it’s probably the best time to go since security will probably be extremely tight (which it was). She also agreed that it was cosmopolitan and easy to navigate. The second was Molly, who was like a bonus mom in addition to my own. She had nothing but encouraging words and at the time was my Marriott connection. She was just mad she couldn’t go with me. Now that my fears were alleviated, I continue to countdown to December 23rd. The day finally arrives and I board my AirFrance flight which was direct from Atlanta to Paris. The flight was pretty empty and I had the row to myself. Premium seating with no one next to me wasn’t so bad. This was the furthest I had ever traveled and solo at that! The next morning, I arrived and was promptly picked up from my hotel. To this day, I love staying outside of the action but close enough to get to it. I stayed in Boulogne-Billancourt which was an easy 15-20 minute subway ride to the city. There was a bus stop right across the street that was a 20 minute ride directly to the Louvre.

The area was perfect for me and I felt more like a local than a tourist. Since my French was intermediate, I was able to be pretty conversational during my visit. Later that night, I had dinner at a local restaurant and the waiter appreciated the French I could speak. He recommended an item to me and when it came out, I was completely thrown off. It was a big ball of greens, but once I cut into it, I discovered a hidden treasure of tenderized and flavorful beef. That was a lesson in stepping out of my cultural comfort zone. The next day while exploring Champs Elysees, gawking at the Arc de Triomphe and visiting different shops throughout the area, I met a guy who was also traveling solo. As we conversed, I asked him what made him travel here. His response was that he’s always wanted to experience Paris and didn’t want to wait any longer to do so. I was speechless. Oh, I forgot to mention he was blind! Here I am with my 20/20 sight letting so much hold me back and this guy said there’s no reason to wait. Right then and there I decided not to wait around and miss out on seeing as much as I can while I’m able to do so. Since that time, I’ve taken more than 20 solo trips abroad and to this day I remember that conversation vividly. 

I thoroughly enjoyed roaming the streets of Paris with no agenda or itinerary. Everyday I tried a new pastry and meal, different wines, and marveled at the fact that I was on my own in a foreign land and couldn’t wait to do it again. I absolutely love having company travel with me, but sometimes they can’t make the journey. Life is too short to wait for a day that may never come. Luckily, they all understand my love and desire for wanderlust.

You will find your own reasons for getting out there, but know once you do there’s no going back. It’s like Neo in the Matrix and the decision he had between taking the red and blue pill. Once we understand the world is our oyster, how could you deny yourself of all it has to offer.