Listen well, friends! Every traveler is different and will have amazing experiences based on their preferences. Some travel to party, some to delve into history, and others to submerge themselves in a different culture. I tend to be more of the latter, so my best experiences tend to be the ones where I feel absorbed in the place I'm visiting. But don't worry, there are plenty of short stories I can share about my adventures that will hopefully inspire you to give solo or at least travel in general a chance!
Enjoy my stories, and hopefully soon more will come!
My new napping spot - England
I had my first ever travel experience when I was 11, which was a 2-day stay in England followed by another 11 days in Israel. Being only a kid at the time, I didn't handle the jet lag well at all. I spent a good part of my day in London nodding off everywhere, despite us visiting wonderful tourist landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and the British Museum.
It was at the British Museum that I got to touch the Rosetta Stone before it was encased in glass and view the original manuscripts for Jane Austen's work and the sheet music of several Beatles songs. Then I leaned up against a display case and promptly passed out for a minute or two.
When my dad woke me up, he told me that I'd fallen asleep on the Magna Carta.
The last two times I've been to London I've tried to revisit my napping spot but have failed since it was relocated to the British Library. This means I'll have to go back and try again!
There are souvenirs, and then there are Souvenirs - Israel
Continuing from the previous story, we arrived in Israel and started our journey from Tel Aviv and went northeast. Early into our trip we stopped at Beit She'an and visited the amphitheater. Being a kid who loved Indiana Jones, I wanted to take home a souvenir that could possibly be put into a museum. So, I found a large chunk of marble that looked like it was a piece of an old Roman column and took it home with me.
Once we got back to the hotel, I stashed that piece of column safely in my suitcase where I made sure it wouldn't break. I kept it safe until the trip ended and we went to the airport. This being Israel and their having major security detail even in the late 90s, we had to open our luggage for inspection before our suitcases were stowed away.
Sure enough, the security guard happened to spot the piece of column and took a good look at it. And what did he do? He just said to cute little 11-year-old me, "that's a good piece." And continued with his job. I essentially was given the ok to take a piece of history out of a country.
I still got it!
Thanks, Israeli security guard!
Crashing a bachelorette party - Ireland
Though I briefly mentioned this one in my first post, I figured now would be a good time to go into the details of what happened. I found out after seeing one of my favorite bands, Gaelic Storm, in concert, that Saturday nights in Galway, Ireland, are notorious for their bachelorette, or "hen," parties.
My second trip to Ireland had our group staying in Killarney on a Saturday night, one night too early for us to be in Galway, which we would be stopping by the next day. However, I learned this night that these hen parties weren't exclusive to Galway because I counted 6 in the city that night! The hotel we stayed at was directly in the city center and was set up right along a pedestrian street. This night, a stage was set up so that a local band could play . There was one hen party going on inside the hotel restaurant that seemed rather low-key and formal (although one attendee brought along a blowup doll), but there was a rambunctious one happening in the pedestrian street.
After enjoying a cider, I split from my group and decided to join in on the bachelorette party. They were dancing and cheering, but most importantly, they were already drunk and didn't notice for a while that someone else had joined them!
I decided to reveal myself soon enough and asked the bride-to-be for a selfie, which she was more than happy to call her girls in for. I took the shot, congratulated her, and then moved on to see if I could crash any other parties. Unfortunately, the other parties going through the city were more formal and I would've stuck out like a sore thumb, but I was beyond satisfied that I had successfully crashed one for a few minutes.
It was the next time I visited Ireland that I would spend a Saturday night in Galway. I ran into several bachelorette parties, but it was too early in the night for them to be rambunctious enough for me to join in. Guess I'll have to go back and try again!
Here's one of the parties I tried to crash in Galway, but they weren't drunk yet
This could only happen to me - Northern Ireland
In case you were unaware, I'm quite a geek, and always have been. On my third trip to Ireland, the first half was done with a Contiki tour. Halfway through the tour, we crossed the border from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland and stopped in the city of Derry and had some time to explore. I went in search of the latest High Kings CD and after succeeding, went to a nearby mall to look around.
And as I wandered just to see what a mall in Northern Ireland looked like, I came across some Irish cosplayers dressed up as Storm Troopers. I swear, this could only happen to me: looking around a foreign country and finding other nerds without even trying. They insisted I handle the light saber too!
Join the Dark Side, we have Irishmen!
I guess you could say, the Force is strong with me. Speaking of which...
Call of the nerds - England
...I mentioned once before that I got lost in London on my first full day there. I decided to stop for some coffee at a Caffe Nero at one point so I could access the Wi-Fi to find out where I was. I wound up near two young men discussing Star Wars at the table next to me.
Once again, I was readily accepted into foreign nerd culture and spent a decent amount of time discussing the original trilogy and the prequels with these two lads. I also asked if they could direct me toward the Globe Theater, but all they could offer was to follow the Thames. It was so cool to connect with geeks on a global level!
Meet Alex and Tom!
Going anime at the Leaning Tower of Pisa - Italy
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the few places in the world where just about every single tourist regardless of what country they come from has the same mindset:
"Hey look, I'm holding up this tower!"
Fun, but everyone who comes to this landmark more or less does the same thing. If you're clever enough, you can come up with other ways to utilize the tower's gravity defying structure to be totally unique. Now I don't know how unique this would make me, but I decided I wanted to do something other than holding the tower up like everyone else.
So, I did this:
Hadouken added after the shot was taken
I'm not really much for anime, but for some reason the idea of doing a hadouken just seemed like fun. So I did it! Maybe one of these days I'll have someone Photoshop an actual energy blast in there, but until then, I channeled my inner Street Fighter and gave it the best pose I could!
The TSA and I both failed - California, Washington
I booked my first ever solo flight to Seattle when I was 28 and was super nervous about it. Having not flown in 13 years also added to that apprehension. To ensure that I wouldn't have any trouble with my carry-on luggage or TSA, I made sure to remove anything from my bags that could be confiscated as a prohibited item.
So paranoid was I that of course missed something!
However, as I went through TSA and airport security, I had no issues at all. My bags went through the scanners without being subject to a search, nothing was on my person, and the agents were all very polite. I boarded my flight, landed safely in Seattle, and was picked up by my uncle, whom I was there to visit along with my aunt.
As he was driving me to his place, I decided to remove my keys from my bag and put them in my duffel since I wouldn't be needing them. As I took them out, I suddenly yelped. My uncle asked what was wrong, and I showed him my keys.
I had left my pepper spray on my key ring, which was prohibited in carry-on luggage! Somehow, I had forgotten to remove the most dangerous of my purse items and the TSA didn't catch it!
Needless to say, the spray stayed behind in Seattle.
Ever partied in a bomb shelter? - Switzerland
Ever partied in a bomb shelter? - Switzerland
I sadly didn't get to spend as much time in Switzerland as I'd have wished to, but what a country! Our group stayed at a chalet located on a campground in Lauterbrunnen, which just so happened to have a bomb shelter on its lowest level.
Since there's been no need for bomb shelters for a while, this bomb shelter was converted into a bar!
Ever seen so many people wearing beanies?
The bar had limited options on their drink menu, but there was plenty of room to dance and party, and a Nintendo 64 emulator hooked up! Obviously, the partying took precedence, so our group, along with other groups staying at the same chalet, enjoyed a "Swissco Disco," in which we all showed up wearing Switzerland beanies.
I'm telling you, partying in a converted bomb shelter really does feel more badass than it should. We all had a great time down there.
Oh yeah, and being the geek I am, I slaughtered both a bartender and another guy in our group at N64 Mario Kart. Earned a free drink for one of those victories!
I've become my mother! - Ireland
My sister and I finally made it the Cliffs of Moher in our trip to Ireland. We began our exploration of this majestic site at Hag's Head and made our way north toward the visitor's center. Right as we reach the cliffs, I notice that there are three main paths: one against the fenced pasture blocking off the property hugging the cliffs, another a safe distance away from the cliff edge, and one right up against the edge.
Immediately, my sister goes straight for the path right up against the edge. Being the big sister that I am, my first instinct was to yell, "don't walk too close to the edge!" Then I paused and thought to myself, "hey wait, mom's not here!" I followed after her instead with, "wait for me!"
We kept to the cliff edge for the majority of our hike.
My next adventure at the Cliffs of Moher - Ireland
Having completed the Hag's Head Trail at the Cliffs on my previous trip, it was my intention to finish the trail going north. However, our group was only allowed 2 hours to explore since it was October and a bit dismal outside. I wasted no time in running up to O'Brien Castle and then taking the trail north, but sadly not making it far due to the lack of time allotted.
So why did this story make this post? Well, here's why:
They had fenced off the trail, and I hopped the fence.
In my defense, that fence really wasn't much of a barrier, and others (as you can see) had hopped it as well. But everyone else in my group was either appalled or impressed that I went on despite the landslides!
The next time I went I still may not have made to the end of the trail, but I did make it further north since it was August and we had more time to explore.
Falling is no joke!
Reenacting a scene from our favorite movie! - New York
I took a trip to New York to attend a Newsies rally, organized by a fan of the original movie (not the Broadway show, which is amazing, but there's a HUGE difference between the two fanbases). Our rally was to meet in front of the NYC City Hall, from where we would cross the Brooklyn Bridge to see other historical sites from the movie.
One of the iconic scenes from Newsies is when Jack and Boots lean over the side of the Brooklyn Bridge and scream off the side of it for kicks and giggles as the camera pans away for a wide shot of the bridge circa 1899. So, what do a group of fans who have been involved with this base for over 20 years do?
You guessed it! Reenact that very scene!
Obviously, it didn't have the same effect as the film did, but it was still insanely cool to do this at the site. Even better, one of the girls in the group had director Kenny Ortega's phone number and sent him this video, which he absolutely loved! Too bad I shot the video and wasn't in it, but oh well! I love my fellow Newsies fans.
Always there for my mates! - Scotland
I loved Scotland, but unfortunately my experience was dampened due to being allergic to something out there and spending much of my time sneezing. Now this being a Contiki tour, I was assigned a roommate, and she and I got along pretty well!
During our first day in Edinburgh, my roomie kept asking me to remind her what room number we were in at our hotel. She and I split off for different activities in the city since it was during the Fringe Festival, and I had to call it a night early because all the sneezing was wearing me out in addition to some slight jet lag. As I was getting ready for bed, I became concerned that my roomie wouldn't remember which room we were in.
A normal person probably would've shot them an IM or text message, but all the sneezing was making my brain fuzzy. So instead, I did this:
Sure enough, that worked! When we had breakfast the next morning, she thanked me very emphatically for what I did, and the story spread a bit through our group because it was such an unorthodox thing to do.
A few months later, Contiki's Facebook page posted about the best stories involving traveler's roommates, and this got posted:
I may be a solo traveler, but experiences like this are priceless.
I could never play an instrument...until now - Ireland
We went to Taylor's Three Rock Pub for their cabaret night of dinner and entertainment, with comedy, music and dance acts. In this particular group, I was the only young woman below forty that wasn't traveling with anyone else (the other girl was in her late teens and traveling with her grandparents). At one point, some of the dancers went into the audience to bring people onstage for an impromptu performance.
Guess who got invited onstage by a sexy dancer?
Could you say no to a dancer that adorable????
That adorable lad invited me to join them onstage, and everyone in my group excitedly urged me to go, which I would've done without the urging since I'm an actress and was thrilled at the idea of becoming an international performer. He took me by the hand and led me to one side of the stage where another audience member selected by one of the girl dancers was brought up as well. I was handed a tambourine, and he was handed a bodhrán, as seen being played in the picture above by the musician next to the dancer.
This is my proof I was onstage. Others in my group took pics and video but I forgot to remind them to send them to me. Am I a moron or what?
Having a little experience with the tambourine, I was able to keep up with the music fairly well, while the other guest (seen leaving the stage in that picture up there) was having a hard time figuring out how to use the bodhrán. After the one song, the instruments were switched at I got to play the bodhrán. And guess what? I PLAYED THE FRICKIN' THING.
The song they had selected to play was the popular Irish song, "Whiskey in the Jar," which I was very well acquainted with. So, I knew the music and the beat and somehow was able to play along! All this time I'd thought I had no musical ability, but while I was up there, I was able to play an instrument I'd never laid hands on before. I was so amazed at what I was doing and excited to be performing in a foreign country that I just had a ball up here.
When the song was over, I got a standing ovation from some of the other patrons, and even the entertainers were impressed and told me so after the show! I left the stage in one of my most triumphant moments in my life, and was told by one of the other guys in my group that while I was up onstage, I "brought everyone up there with [me]."
To this day, I don't know how I did it. Nor can I play the bodhrán anymore!
A wish came true - France
I thought I'd save the best story for last.
My group had reached Paris on the final day of the Tour de France, which disrupted our plans a little bit but not so much that it was an issue. The next day was the last full day our group was together as well as our only full day in Paris. I was feeling a little melancholy after traveling with this great group of people and decided that I didn't want to explore the most romantic city in the world by myself.
Luckily, one of the other young men in our group invited me to join him at the Louvre.
Unfortunately, the Louvre was undergoing renovations and only allowing a certain number of guests in per day, so by the time we arrived they had already reached their limit. He and I decided to tour the grounds instead and explored the shopping center beneath the museum and the gardens outside, which were also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We poked fun at the statues along the paths and rode a few rides at the carnival just outside the grounds before we went to check out the fountains and gardens. My handsome escort suggested we toss coins into one of the fountains so we both took out coins to toss in at the same time. However, I tried flicking my coin in with my thumb, so his coin went in but mine flipped backward over my shoulder, which he thought was a hoot.
As he picked up my coin for me and handed it back, he teased me with, "ha ha, now your wish isn't going to come true." Not being one to be told something can't be done, I thought to myself, "wanna bet?" He then proceeded to show me how to properly flick the coin into the fountain with my index finger, so I made my wish, did as he instructed, and the coin went into the fountain.
It was after we'd had an extremely full day that we found ourselves outside of the O'Sullivan's By the Mill Bar that is settled right next door to the Moulin Rouge. My wish came true when that same young man kissed me right then and there.
He never knew that the wish I'd made when I tossed my coin was that he'd kiss me.
And those are my stories!
Of course, there are plenty more, but these are easily the best I've had. I hope to have new adventures soon so that I can do another list, but with the world the way it is right now, it may be a while. I will still take every opportunity to get out there and compile more stories, especially since I experienced the revelation that most of my best stories were ones of traveling with other people and not by myself.
Just because there really aren't many stories of my traveling alone doesn't mean that it's not a wonderful experience, but sometimes the best adventures come with the people you travel with. And when by yourself, I've found that sometimes words just can't express the feelings you had when you explore a foreign country.
So, what's coming next? Well, I think it would be best to put out a blog about what you need to do to prepare for the country you're about to visit. With the world slowly reopening again, foreign travel prices are super low and now is the time to start looking into where you want to go! And yes, I already know where I want to go and when, depending on the Covid situation.
Thank you for enjoying my stories, and may you have just as many to share when you get out into the world!
I thought I'd save the best story for last.
My group had reached Paris on the final day of the Tour de France, which disrupted our plans a little bit but not so much that it was an issue. The next day was the last full day our group was together as well as our only full day in Paris. I was feeling a little melancholy after traveling with this great group of people and decided that I didn't want to explore the most romantic city in the world by myself.
Luckily, one of the other young men in our group invited me to join him at the Louvre.
We poked fun at the statues along the paths and rode a few rides at the carnival just outside the grounds before we went to check out the fountains and gardens. My handsome escort suggested we toss coins into one of the fountains so we both took out coins to toss in at the same time. However, I tried flicking my coin in with my thumb, so his coin went in but mine flipped backward over my shoulder, which he thought was a hoot.
As he picked up my coin for me and handed it back, he teased me with, "ha ha, now your wish isn't going to come true." Not being one to be told something can't be done, I thought to myself, "wanna bet?" He then proceeded to show me how to properly flick the coin into the fountain with my index finger, so I made my wish, did as he instructed, and the coin went into the fountain.
Here's the fountain
It was after we'd had an extremely full day that we found ourselves outside of the O'Sullivan's By the Mill Bar that is settled right next door to the Moulin Rouge. My wish came true when that same young man kissed me right then and there.
He never knew that the wish I'd made when I tossed my coin was that he'd kiss me.
And those are my stories!
Of course, there are plenty more, but these are easily the best I've had. I hope to have new adventures soon so that I can do another list, but with the world the way it is right now, it may be a while. I will still take every opportunity to get out there and compile more stories, especially since I experienced the revelation that most of my best stories were ones of traveling with other people and not by myself.
Just because there really aren't many stories of my traveling alone doesn't mean that it's not a wonderful experience, but sometimes the best adventures come with the people you travel with. And when by yourself, I've found that sometimes words just can't express the feelings you had when you explore a foreign country.
So, what's coming next? Well, I think it would be best to put out a blog about what you need to do to prepare for the country you're about to visit. With the world slowly reopening again, foreign travel prices are super low and now is the time to start looking into where you want to go! And yes, I already know where I want to go and when, depending on the Covid situation.
Thank you for enjoying my stories, and may you have just as many to share when you get out into the world!
All photos were taken by me or with my personal devices.
Gifs courtesy of Giphy
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