Travel has always been in my veins and the idea of going solo to explore the world has been a concept I’ve embraced my entire life.
So, it was with great pride when I received photos from Sam and her first solo travel adventure…
As you know she is studying for her master’s degree in London, England so it’s not the first time Sam has travelled anywhere without friends or family support.
I’ve been taking her places since she was a little girl but it’s not the same when you’re on a road trip with your dad and brother.
She’s also taken extended trips to Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Israel, Hawaii, Australia, Scotland, Hong Kong and China over the course of her lifetime, but until now she has not travelled without a friend or family member.
However, her recent trip to Amsterdam highlighted the fact that she has now stepped beyond that imaginary boundary between a group trip and going solo.
I remember with excitement and a certain level of trepidation my first solo trip, albiet mine was embarking upon a one-year-round the world odyssey.
For me this proved to be a life changing event.
The beauty of her now living in London is the close proximity to the continent and her ability to take long weekends to travel and explore all that Europe has to offer.
We’ve talked about a few of the places she wants to visit and of course I’ve given my two cents worth of advice as to places to go, but she is an independent and strong-minded young woman with plenty of ideas of her own.
Prior to Christmas she skied in the French Alps with a couple of classmates whose parents own a chalet near the famed ski region of Val-d’Isère which is close to the French-Italian border.
Then during her reading week, she went to Spain and the Canary Islands with another classmate to explore.
I’m so glad she’s taking full advantage of her time in the UK to go on these types of getaways.
From an early age I was able to show both her and Zach some of the tips and tricks of travelling and how to travel and navigate in an unfamiliar city.
Clearly, she’s been able to take these on board and now has the confidence of going solo.
From an early age Sam has enjoyed travel and exploring almost as much as me, which is right up there on the adventure scale.
An important lesson that I’ve always reinforced with both Zach and Sam is that your personal safety is paramount and to follow your gut instincts.
If in doubt… follow your instincts no matter what.
For me personally this has saved my skin on more than one occasion, so it’s an important lesson to share.
Often when we’re young we think we’re indestructible however, we know that this isn’t the case but this level of understanding only comes with maturity and experience.
Until that time… be on guard.
I’m so proud of her for a host of reasons, however her willingness to travel and explore the world is right up there and close to the top of the list.
After working part time all through university and then taking summer jobs, she has saved enough to be able to travel whenever she wants.
This level of independence provides a modicum of flexibility that helps fuel a travel laden lifestyle.
Minimizing your debt is a key factor in being able to consistently travel on your terms and another lesson that I’ve imparted upon her.
Fortunately, she is a saver and somewhat frugal which makes sense given her lineage. Now take this and combine it with being level headed and mature beyond her years and you have another adventurer on your hands…
The memories that Sam is accumulating with her travel adventures will last a lifetime, whether its solo or in a group she will always have these moments to look back on.
Undoubtedly, she’s also learning lessons during her travels that she can apply to her future adventures or impart to her friends.
My early travel adventures remain vivid in my mind even after all these years and provide some great stories, many of which I have shared in my earlier essays.
For me travel has been one of the most important and defining aspects of my life experience and get the distinct feeling that I have passed this onto Sam.
She’s embraced this sense of adventure with both hands and is now beginning her own exploration of the world.
Less so from a travel perspective for Zach, but I feel like I’ve passed on other things to him that he has embraced which are helping shape his life and future.
Our shared love of history has been one of the pillars of our relationship, especially now with him firmly focused on becoming a history professor I feel like I played a significant part in helping him discover his life’s passion.
His academic pursuits are similar in many ways to Sam’s love of travel and adventure.
Clearly the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree for either of them…
Until next week.
Ciao!
0 Comments on "Going solo"