I’ll admit right now that I’m feeling all the things: excitement, anxiety, fear, frustration and maybe a little more anxiety. Have I traveled abroad before? Yes. A few times. But this is different. In the past, I’d been with a group or with my husband. This time, it’s only me. I keep reminding myself, “Alyssa, you’re almost 50 flipping years old.” Then why is it sometimes I feel like a kid who’s afraid to do the wrong thing? You know – like mixing up AM and PM for reservation times or not understanding exchange rates or….the list goes on and on.
The excitement comes from the fact that after nearly 40 years of reading about these places in my family’s history, I’m actually going to see them…in person. Me! I wish I could go back and tell 9 year old Alyssa what I know now. Yes, Shelton Hall is real. Yes, Sir John Shelton and his wife really did hide away Princess Elizabeth. Yes, the proof still exists. And thanks to the wonder that is the internet and, more specifically, Facebook, I have a plan to see it all!
As far as itineraries, everyone is asking, “So, what’s on your list?” I’ll answer it easily: ANYTHING I WANT. This is the beauty of traveling alone. But, this is also the part that makes me the most anxious. There’s been a motto Paul and I have lived our adult lives by and, in turn, have shared with our daughter: Always remember, stupider people than you have done it. I might also use another mantra of mine: Fake it til you make it.
Being a solo traveler is exciting, though. I did not want to book every single second of my trip, so my itinerary is loosely outlined. Do I have reservations at specific places and times? Do I have tickets to see shows? Of course I do, but not for every hour of every day. This is England on my terms.
Alyventures 