"Two other women were originally part of the plan, but they bailed, leaving me with a decision: Should I go on the trip alone or cancel? At 52, I'm not a natural solo adventurer. I'm the type of person who is nervous about approaching others to take my picture or ask for directions. I've never eaten at a sit-down restaurant by myself. Sure, I'll grab a quick sandwich alone, but a "table for one" that requires admitting my status to a hostess? No, thanks."
"But there was another reason I wanted to go. With my youngest preparing to fly the coop for college next year and her two older siblings already halfway through their degrees, the reality of an impending empty nest was looming. My house was about to get very quiet, and I realized I had no idea if I knew how to be alone."
"Once I decided to go, I started packing. It was shockingly easy. For the first time in two decades, my mental checklist didn't involve anyone else's survival. I didn't have to track down my kid's Dramamine - a mistake I've made before. I didn't have to hunt for my husband's favorite hat, the absence of which once left him with a sunburn I had to hear about for the rest of the vacation."
At 52, the traveler faced canceled companions and chose to travel alone to Anguilla. Social anxiety made approaching strangers and dining solo uncomfortable. The island would be the twelfth Caribbean destination and that statistic helped justify going. With children leaving for college, the trip served as a test of living without family and confronting an impending empty nest. Packing felt shockingly easy and liberating because no one's needs required planning. Mental checklists no longer included Dramamine, a husband's hat, or other caretaking tasks. The trip produced a newfound sense of freedom and anticipation for alone time.
Read at Business Insider
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