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The Joy of Traveling Alone


The Joy of Traveling Alone



Photo:

Matreetta Talsi

The bus screeched to a stop in Nazareth, Israel. Five Australian backpackers boarded and struck up a conversation with me. They asked typical travelers’ questions—where was I going and why was I traveling alone?

My plan was to travel with a friend of a friend, I explained, but when I called her that morning, she didn’t pick up and I had no other way to reach her. My stomach was in knots, but I decided to head out anyway, thinking I might run into her if I traveled to Tiberius, where we had planned to go together.

“Why don’t you travel with us?” one of the backpackers offered.

They were experienced adventurers who would work for a few months, save, then travel for as long as they could. Their current plan was to explore the Middle East and Europe in three month stints while working in London.

It seemed risky to travel with strangers, but my gut said yes. It turned out to be one of the best decision I’ve ever made.

For the next two weeks, I explored Israel with the backpackers and learned to trust my instincts in all types of new and interesting situations. When they hitchhiked, I took the bus, but when they wanted to sneak into the King David Hotel’s swimming pool, I led the way.

The world opened up to me because I chose to travel alone. I bonded with complete strangers, who became close friends. Years later, one couple from the backpacking group even flew from Sydney to Phoenix to be in my wedding.

The trip was such a positive experience that it gave me confidence in all areas of my life. Since then, I’ve backpacked solo across South Africa, sky-dived from 12,000 feet in New Zealand, hiked Norway’s fiords, and even moved across the U.S. with no job lined up and (successfully) applied to graduate school without taking the GREs.

On my third day wandering in Israel with my new friends, I bumped into the woman I was supposed to meet. Though I was happy she was all right, I was grateful she hadn’t picked up the phone. It became a defining moment in my life, when I first chose to strike out on my own.

Ms. Siegel is a freelance journalist who covers international affairs, business and travel



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