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BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON June 22, 2015

Solo Travel for Adventurous Boomer Women

Nancy Mueller Alaska

It’s no secret that we encourage solo women travel here at Wanderlust and Lipstick. Yet I marvel at how often my traveling alone to exotic destinations provokes a variety of reactions from fellow women travelers who are not, ranging from:

“You’re so brave!”

“Really?” (as in, Why would anyone want to do that?)

to:

“Wow.” (as in, How do you get to do that?)

“Cool!”

Solo Travel Nancy Mueller Langley, WA

While I’m a great proponent of travel with family and friends given the opportunity, I’m also a strong advocate for solo women travel. In fact, according to recent reports cited both in The New York Times and Oprah Magazine, the number of solo travelers, American women in particular, is on the rise.

As a Boomer woman living life single, as an empty nester, or with a partner who doesn’t share your travel bucket list, perhaps, you too, wonder whether solo wanderings are for you. Having ventured around the world on my own and with travel companions, here’s what I know for sure:

“You’re so brave!”

Solo Travel Nancy Mueller Ecuador

I’m not really. But given the choice of seeing the world solo or not at all, having once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences or not, my bags are always packed. Traveling feeds my soul and the confidence I’ve gained from doing so on my own has returned to me a thousandfold when facing similar, potentially intimidating situations in life. Susan Jeffers said it best in her ground-breaking book. Sometimes you just have to Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway in order to get where you want to go.

If the fear of traveling on your own is preventing you from doing so, make a list of your travel fears, followed by an action plan to minimize their impact. Ask for help from experienced travelers. Browse the Internet for tips from travel pros. Find out how to protect yourself from possible theft or handle other safety concerns. Don’t let fear drive your decision to stay home if you want to see the world but don’t have a travel companion.

“Really?” (as in Why would anyone want to do that?)

Solo Travel Nancy Mueller The Danube, Kelheim

Lots of reasons. Because all the award-winning photography in the world can’t compare to the unexpected emotion you feel when surrounded by Monet’s waterlily paintings at the Musee de’Orsay in Paris. Because when you witness the pristine, natural beauty of sites like Alaska’s Inside Passage up close and personal, you understand in a visceral way why it’s vital to protect our environment for ourselves and future generations. Because the memories of sailing aboard a felucca on the Nile at sunset or biking the backroads of Provence can sustain you when all else around you fails.

Besides enjoying exotic destinations, besides building self-confidence, traveling solo exposes you to fast friendships and exponential growth when you interact with others who speak another language and who see the world through a different lens than you do. Why not learn how to cook the cuisine of Ecuador on location? Why not listen to Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the opera house in Vienna? Why not saddle up for a solo horseback ride in Patagonia if that’s what you want to do?

“Wow.” (as in How do you get to do that?)

Solo Travel Nancy Mueller Montreal

I get to see the world in my role as a travel writer. But you don’t need to be a travel writer to enjoy the best that solo world wanderings have to offer. Research your travel options with the help of a travel agent or tour company that specializes in solo journeys. Network with like-minded adventurers. Set your intention, make a plan and get going.

For more information on solo travel, check out these articles:

The New York Times
Oprah Magazine

Wander on!

Nancy

What solo travels have you taken, wanderboomers? Please share your experience with us here.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel Tagged With: boomer women, boomer women solo travel, New York Times, Oprah Magazine, solo travel, travel

BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment ON August 1, 2011

The Magic of Termas Papallacta

Prior to my arrival, my host had described this health spa and resort as “magical,” and “Very romantic and perfect for children.”

“Romantic” and “perfect for children” – at the same time? Is that possible? In any case, I was traveling solo on this trip. No romantic getaway or fun family adventure for me this time around.

I made plans to stay at the resort for three days and three nights, though my host had cautioned that “The town itself is not a tourist attraction and there are no activities to do around the resort.”

Situated at 3,3oo meters (10,800 feet) above sea level, this hot springs haven is protected by 625 acres at the entrance of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve.

You won’t find trendy boutiques or celebrity-sighting sidewalk cafes here, which to my mind sounded like a perfect way to end my two-week journey in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

After all, isn’t that what every good travel writer needs? A place of her own to let the sights and sounds of the last eleven days seep deep into her consciousness? A thermal hot springs and spa where her muse would have space to absorb and digest all that she had seen and experienced (not to mention, eaten) along the way?

There was a slight risk that the height and the hot springs might have a hallucinatory effect on my writing, but I was willing to take that chance. If such a sanctuary exists in the Andes, I reasoned, I owed it to my muse to go there.

Thank goodness I did.

Termas Papallacta is a sanctuary of natural beauty framed by the steep-sloped Andes. On a clear day the star attraction is the snow-dusted Antisana volcano that soars 5.704 meters (19,800 feet).Unfortunately, my July visit coincided with the cold and wet season. I was left to imagine what must be a spectacular view of the volcano above the resort. But the fog that cloaked the surrounding mountaintops created its own mystique, as did the steam rising from the thermal pools into the chilly air.

True to my Seattle roots, I was not about to let a little rain diminish the enjoyment of my visit. My mantra became Rest. Relaxation. Recreation.

When I told one staff member how long I planned to stay at the resort, his eyes widened: “You must really need to relax!”

The majority of guests stay here for three days and two nights, but in the company of family. Families are revered and travel en masse in Ecuador as I witnessed at the thermal baths and in my wanderings throughout the country. I can see now why it might have seemed strange for a woman traveling alone to want to stay longer than a day and a night.

What a far cry, though, from the reaction I’ve had at home in a country where independence is so highly valued. When told about my two-week solo jaunt to Ecuador, the response has been universal among my women friends : “Do you know how lucky you are?”

Yes, yes, I do.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Destinations, Health & Safety, Travel Writing Tagged With: Ecuador, family, health spa and resort, hot springs, solo travel, thermal pools

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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