Solo Travel vs Companion Travel

I love to travel and I’ve done a lot of solo traveling.  At the age of 65 I’ve reached a point when being a solo traveler is no longer high on my list.  I'm going to share my perspective on solo traveling in this article.  

My next article is a guest article from a friend, Ruby Cooper whom I've traveled with in the past. She is very much a solo traveler and over the age of 65.  Ruby's article can be found at http://rubycooper.com/youth-hostels-not-just-for-the-young/

I’ve reached the age where I enjoy the company of a regular travel companion more often than not. I'm talking about those trips out of country that are 2 weeks or more. I still enjoy my “solo” time while on my travels though.  Being an introvert means I have to have down time, whether I’m just walking on the beach by myself, people watching, or, in my case, writing.

I’m lucky that my regular travel companions understand my travel needs and give me the space I want, while enjoying their own space. It's taken time to develop friendships with people who enjoy traveling the way I travel.  

I'm not a high end, high maintenance, all-inclusive traveler.  I enjoy being immersed in a new culture when I'm traveling.  If I travel solo at my age to a new country, sometimes it's difficult to immerse the same way because of my age and some of the fears I have now compared to a few years ago. It’s not always as easy to start a conversation with someone new in a strange country as it was a few years back.  Or maybe it’s more that I’m still willing to talk but other solo travelers my age are sometimes more hesitant!

Traveling with a companion has it's benefits. For instance, the other day, a wet rainy day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, my companion and I went out together for lunch. There were only a few people in the restaurant as I’m sure many were hiding away in their hotel room or staying on the huge cruise ship that arrived in port that morning.  I could have enjoyed a bite to eat by myself while watching the rain fall because I enjoy my own company.  It’s not the same though.

Reaching 65 means revisiting much of what I did earlier in life.  It is a time when the memory is better about things that happened in the past.  We got the opportunity to talk about the interesting travels we had in the past and how things have changed over the years.

A travel companion helps with what is happening in the present.  For instance, trying to locate my glasses before I left the hotel room is sometimes frustrating on my own.  Having someone say, “You mean the ones on your head?” is very helpful.  It's just the way it is later in life.

Knowing someone is there if I’m feeling crappy is good too.  The years when I can blame it all on too much tequila are long gone.  If I’m sick now there’s a darn good reason and it’s nice to have someone around the same age who “gets it.”  Having someone around who doesn't mind running to the “tienda” to buy electrolytes for dehydration is good.  If the stomach issue gets worse, it’s nice if a travel companion is there to handle the medical emergency part.

Not a "Selfie"

Then of course there are pictures to take. Too many “selfies” get tiresome. Yesterday, there was an older guy sitting at the next table and he had a camera on the table beside him.  I attempted to start a conversation, but after a few minutes I gave up.  He spoke English but wasn’t interested in conversing so I didn’t ask if he wanted his picture taken.  Obviously he did the selfie routine.  It’s much nicer to have a companion take pictures, even if they don’t turn out to be the greatest after a few drinks!  

Then there is the safety thing.  I know that a person of any age can end up in trouble traveling by alone.  I’m aware as a woman that I’m even more vulnerable, especially at my time of life.  If I’m staying in hostel type accommodations, there’s a good chance I can connect with other travelers going to the same place as I am.  If I’m staying in a hotel, it’s different.  Better to have a travel companion traveling with me.

I won’t quit traveling anytime soon but traveling solo is becoming less and less in my travel plans these days!  For instance,  I'm looking forward to my first trip to Hawaii in March with a friend, who's been there a number of times.  The other opportunity that has come up is to start arranging group travel with a dozen people or less.  We can do all the pre-trip planning as a group and enjoy the travel experience together. 

There are still instances I will continue to travel alone but I'm not quite as brave as Ruby!  That may change though the older I get!