13 out of 32: Take a Solo Vacation

I consider myself fairly independent.  I live alone, I was responsible for paying for my own education, and I am typically an initiator rather than a follower when it comes to making social plans.  I have traveled before on my own, but it has usually been day trips or an overnighter.  I've never gone on a full scale vacation by myself.  Actually I moved to New York almost 7 years ago and since then I have not traveled if it didn't involve going to see friends or family.

I wanted to take a trip that was for me and not worry about someone else's agenda.  I chose to go to San Francisco (more on that in an upcoming post).  I had a ball.  I do have friends there and met up with some of them, but I also had a lot of me time to explore.  What have I learned?  My favorite travel companion ever is...ME!

I had the time of my life and I have to start traveling like this more often.  I am learned things that I probably already knew about myself, but this experience just reinforced them.  These self realizations include:

1. I can make friends with anyone.  I'm did Airbnb for the first time and I really enjoyed the host I stayed with.  We met up for coffee most mornings before departing for our separate days.  In the course of one day I managed to strike up a conversation with a guy while waiting in line for the restroom, who proceeded to ask me out (I declined, mostly because at best you get a fling when you are only in town for six days and that's not what this trip is about), befriended patrons at a movie in The Castro Theater (including the man outside the theater with kittens), and chatted with some ex-New Yorkers who invited me to join their table at a coffee shop.

2. I have stamina.  I walked my tail off the whole trip.  Sure I was pooped by the end of the day, but life is too short to not take in as much as you can.

3. I'm game for anything. Not having plans lead to great encounters with people and places that I never would have had if I had made an agenda for myself.

I also learned what great company I can be.  I like to make this joke, that if I wasn't me I'd get tired of hanging out with me all day, which is really a self deprecating thing to think.  After this trip I realize what great company I am. I think a solo trip should be something I do every year now.