Sunday, July 3, 2016

3 weeks. 1 backpack. - Traveling Solo

It wasn´t until I was about to embark on this trip that most of my peer group are stunned that I´m traveling solo. I am meeting up with a group of people I´ve not yet met for my walk on the Camino de Santiago, but I am going by myself.

The difference between traveling with others and traveling solo comes down to one simple difference. When traveling with others, you speak, plan, shop, eat, etc. with the other(s). When solo, you are open to others.

At O´¨Hare, I bought Garrett´s cheese popcorn and settled into my wait. It took about 4 minutes before a man sat down two seats from me to ask if he could have some popcorn. Of course, I shared.

About 2 minutes later he asked if I was "available" as his visa was expiring. After I told him I was unavailable, he asked if I knew any single women. I convinced him my girls were too young (15 & 13) and my grandmother was too old (100). We chatted about traveling for about an hour and then I said how nice it was meeting him and continued with my agenda.

At JFK in NY, I shared a birthday shot with an engineer with a wetsuit in his backpack and carrying a skateboard who was off to kite board in SanDiego.

Then I met dear Louisa. We looked after each others´ luggage while we checked departure times and ran to the bathroom one last time. We shared book reccommendations and discussions about life transitions. I hope our paths will someday cross again.

8 comments:

  1. “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” - Terry Pratchett

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  2. I love your stories Jill!!! I agree with you about doing some things alone, I have never traveled alone, but have started taking some day trips, just getting in the car and driving course try roads, seeing where they take me, stopping where I want, dining alone, no agenda, no plan. There is something so empowing and peaceful about it. I can'take even imagine how it must feel doing it on the scale you are. Your adventures put a smile on my face, you might become an author and publish this all some day 😊

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  3. Country roads that is, was so excited to publish, excuse the typos lol

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  7. What is an outstanding post! “I’ll be back” (to read more of your content). Thanks for the nudge! Backpack

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