Adventure for One

Adventure: "an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks" or "an exciting or remarkable experience." 

May 25
In less than 24 hours, I will be lounging in a leather seat and sipping a martini on my way to Portugal. Ok, that's a lie. I'll be sitting in coach with no martini, but I'll be starting what I'm anticipating to be a wonderful adventure. For one.

 June 3
Mission accomplished. Adventure for one was a success.

June 11
If you had asked me three years ago if I would consider traveling oversees by myself, my answer would have been "no." I hadn't done it before, and it seemed pretty risky. And frankly, the thought of spending that much time with myself really wasn't all that appealing. Fast forward to January 2011, and I found myself embarking on my first solo international journey to Kristiansand, Norway. It was a work-related trip, so there was structure and schedule and accommodations. But I intentionally scheduled a 3-day weekend to explore Oslo on my own. I was a bit nervous navigating a foreign country, but I survived. In fact, not only did I survive, but I had a fabulous time being by myself. Freedom. My only complaints: the frigid temperatures and the french guy who slept naked in our shared hostel dorm. 

Kristiansand happened two more times, and I used those trips as opportunities to see the remaining Nordic capitals: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Reyjkavik, and Helsinki. Talk about frigid temperatures? Helsinki in January was the coldest I have ever been in my life. There was a moment, while I was waiting at a bus stop, when I literally thought I was going to freeze to death. I survived. 

My international adventures that year taught me several things: This world is a big, big place. I love seeing new places and experiencing new cultures. I am completely capable of traveling on my own in a foreign country. I'm a lot more fun to hang out with that I originally thought.

Fast forward 2.5 years. I bought my ticket to Portugal and booked places to stay. My bank statement told me it was real. When I told people that I was going, they asked me who I was going with. "Myself." Many were surprised. Some were concerned. I was delighted.

My trip to Portugal proved to be even more amazing than I hoped it would be. All of the things experienced and learned in my previous travels were heightened on this trip. I was reminded of the enormity of this world, of the diversity of colors and smells and tastes, of the similarities in laughter and passion and joy across cultures, of my desire to partake in them. It was invigorating. Life giving. An experience that no one can take away from me. Food for the soul.

Adventure.