Thanks to Joanna Moorhead for her great article on solo travel (Long lunches, casual friendships, no one to worry about: Solo travel is great for older women like me, March 5). She has been married for 52 years and is on her first solo trip. When she arrived in Vietnam, the guide who met her asked her, “Why are you traveling alone?” I was taken aback, but realized that this type of direct question was a cultural norm.
I traveled a lot, but I was always with my family, so I was worried that I would become depressed. Far from it. Other than the itinerary I planned with my travel agent, I feel free to do what I want without worrying about anyone else.
Vietnam is a fascinating country with a turbulent history. Tourism has also changed completely. Visiting a series of mausoleums may seem daunting, but it’s not at all. These gorgeous and diverse complexes near Hue reflect the unique personality of each emperor. The only problem I’ve encountered is mansplaining on long-haul flights and in restaurants.
why am i alone? My husband has severe frontotemporal dementia. Of course, my thoughts turn to the wonderful holidays we spent together, but those days are gone and I still work hard and earn an income, so a caregiver’s break has become exotic. I’m lucky that it can happen. I look forward to returning and seeing him. In the meantime, sisters, don’t hesitate, let’s go on a trip!
Rosalind Douce
London
I recently traveled solo for a month in Italy, and it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Women over 50 are capable enough to solve transportation problems, meet new people, and experience new challenges. Many people doubt themselves and worry about being alone, but there is a wonderful world out there waiting to be explored.
Traveling is easy with a translation app, some basic phrases, and some common sense. It’s so fun to do something like this for yourself after traveling with your partner, family, or friends.
I never felt alone so I found the Deborah Ives Facebook group stylish soloas mentioned in your article, was very encouraging – always supportive, with great practical advice and when I needed it (when I lost my bag and felt very sorry for myself) ) It gave me a good push up on my back.
Traveling solo allows you to meet amazing people and change your plans on the fly. You also learn to dig deep and discover that you have resilience and abilities you never imagined.
Janice Falconer
Falkirk, Stirlingshire
In my late 20s, I traveled alone around Brazil by bus. I bought a one-way ticket and returned three years later. When I tell people this, no one pays any attention. But now, in his 50s with a grown son, I have the same wanderlust I had 30 years ago: he goes on a month-long trip to Mexico, or he just got back from a solo trip to Cuba. That being said, I think so. The reaction I would get from women my age would be fear or awe.
Yes, always – my time, my itinerary. Last-minute theater tickets, people-watching at sidewalk cafes, reading and picnicking in the park, eating what you want when you want, impromptu afternoons with live music and beer, galleries and museums, free time. Market – The usual flea market. I don’t try to please people or negotiate. When you desperately need company, what could be better than striking up a conversation in a cafe or gallery, or joining a local cooking course or small tour? I travel alone, but I’m never lonely Not.
Once, I went to a restaurant with my mother during lunch time. A woman was sitting there alone. A traveler, engrossed in her book, she drank a few glasses of wine, ate a main course and dessert, and chatted with the waiter. . To be honest, I was a little jealous. What did she have planned for her afternoon alone in London?
Later that day, my mother, who doesn’t like being alone, said, “I don’t like being alone. I felt very sorry for her. ” I think it’s all a matter of perception.
Sam Menezes
newington green, london
Age doesn’t have to be a barrier to traveling if you’re still mobile. In February 2020, at the age of 92, I went on a trip to Morocco. Although he uses a walker due to a broken hip, he walks fairly quickly and had no trouble keeping up with the tour group. On my first morning in Marrakech, I overslept and realized the tour had already left, so I took a taxi and followed the itinerary in hopes of catching up with them. In fact, they had missed their scheduled visit to one of the most impressive palaces. I circled around it (it was free if my walker saw me) and then walked to the shopping street on my own, dazzling at the piles of colorful spices and gorgeous silks lining the clothing stores.
It was helpful to speak a little French to ask for directions, but we had no trouble finding a taxi back to the hotel. The kind and efficient tour guide felt sorry for leaving me behind, so he invited me to lunch. We had no problems traveling to the Majorelle Gardens, the Atlas Mountains, and Essaouira. I was worried that no one would want to date someone as old as me, but luckily I’m a 50 to 75 year old who’s ready to meet up for drinks before or after dinner and chat. I was able to find some interesting groups.
A quick-thinking tour guide saved me from the ultimate holiday disaster of losing my wallet. I didn’t realize it had fallen out of my bag while I was taking photos by the river in a Bedouin village. A little boy selling beads picked it up and handed it to his guide.
It was only a 6-day tour, but we had to say goodbye with regret. Morocco is a fascinating country with plenty of scenery to see, a tradition of great craftsmanship, and both Arab and French cuisine, such as tagines and patisseries. The bus tour there was a great experience and very doable even at 92 years old.
jennifer wells
Lewes, East Sussex
On the rare days when my toddler is at daycare and I’m not busy with work, I read (or, more likely, ignore) specials about solo holidays. This article feels like a dreamlike promise from a very distant future that may never come true. For parents who, like me, can only dream of an actual holiday, may I suggest that they sometimes skip work and go for a solo lunch? I ate it (enough to eat tapas). A walk, a solo trip to the cinema? When you half-close your eyes and put away your phone, you feel like you’re liberated.
Ironically, in my past life I went on a strange solo adventure and had to fight hard to overcome that loneliness. Oh, how I wish I could have my solitude back. It reminds me of a passage from Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet.love your solitude”.
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I’m married to someone who doesn’t fly, so I took the plunge and traveled solo nearly 20 years ago and have never looked back since. Argentina, Antarctica, and Iguazu Falls were all on my bucket list. The fear of eating alone in Buenos Aires was dispelled with a book in hand. There were no cell phones at that time.
No matter where you travel in the world, you’ll find helpful and friendly people, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. The Galapagos Islands are much nicer to go by small boat than by cruise, and Machu Picchu as seen from the Gate of the Sun after walking the last part of the trail was amazing.
At 77 years old, I am leaving for Chile’s Atacama Desert and Easter Island next week. So I say, go for it – what do you have to lose?
Andrea Stowe
creheatonwest yorkshire
Joanna Moorehead’s article resonated with me. When she was a young student she could not afford to travel alone, so she began traveling within Europe in her sixties. She was single again and traveled with her adult children and grandchildren.
I intentionally chose small cities with art galleries and museums that attracted me. For example, the Serralves Museum is in Porto, and the Picasso Museum is in Malaga. Below is a poem I wrote on the spot that probably speaks to this issue.
Jilly Harries
bristol
Restaurant Avero (Porto)
2018.03.14
i eat alone
Are you alone?
the attractive manager asks.
Yes, I’m alone now
I answer.
I sit down, Gisele slammed.
Her anger towards the city
next to the plate glass window
The sopasola bowl gets warm
my cold constitution
overlooking the garden
of virtue
noble serenity
exciting
Lunch for one person:
clean vinho verde
olive bread oil
paint with ombre
Balsamic
lonely woman
in peace,
perhaps
like an american
Or a French woman
sitting
before me
her back says
she is having fun
This festival too
BOM dia.
pearlescent light
fade up from
atlantic coast
Along the Douro River in Rifle.
yellow crane
move the load
Minute by minute, safely
Just like us women,
currently allowed
lonely movement.
Change, shift.
carefully and slowly
safely.
Appropriately, if you look up
And since this is a gallery,
black outline
bold woman’s face
down the room
her eye contest
space
and tree branches
clean from her skull
knowledge and unity
lonely female saint
Diners,
We have become adults.
Please don’t pray for us anymore.
