“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” - T.S. Eliot

One year and four months ago, I began my solo traveler journey. I had traveled many times alone in the past, mostly for work. This time I was setting out on a cruise…all…by…myself! I have cruised many times in the past, always with family or my former partner, so I was a bit worried that I would be lonely. Well, I could not have predicted that I was about to have the time of my life!

I’m in my early 50’s. A single old, lesbian who lives with her mom and menagerie of pets. I don’t have many close friends and my mom doesn’t always want to travel so I was faced with a choice. Stay home like an old hermit or get out there and experience this beautiful Earth! For me, it was a no-brainer. I was going to get out there! I booked a 7 night cruise on Celebrity Beyond which sailed end of January, 2023.

I prepared by joining a few Facebook groups. One for the ship and one for the date and ship. Thanks to these groups I learned that the first night there was going to be a solos meetup sponsored by the cruise line. That seemed like a good idea and was it ever! I ended up meeting the most amazing group of women! We met up every night at the same place and time and often had dinner with each other throughout the length of the cruise. One day one of the ladies,who was my same age, had the same excursion booked. We spent the day hanging out on a gorgeous beach in St Maarten people-watching and just enjoying each others company. It was such basic human companionship but I realized I had not experienced this much in my life. So experiencing it now brought such a peace and calm to my soul. I am so grateful to myself for taking this first step into solo travel and for having the opportunity to spend some time with such great humans. I smile every time I think of it. If you have not tried solo travel, you really should go for it!