Have you ever traveled alone?

After the divorce, my summers were cut in half. It was the only way to spend a longer time with my family in Europe. Having my son for a month without interruptions was amazing, but what followed was one month alone.

There is a difference between spending time alone at home doing stuff,

and discovering a beautiful place not being able to share the experience with anyone.

It took me two years after my separation to organize my first solo vacation. I started with baby steps and booked a four-day stay in a quiet boutique hotel in the Hungarian countryside.

Kali Art Inn (Köveskál, Hungary)

During the three-hour train ride, I chatted with a grandfather of four who was heading to their weekend house. He told me he found it challenging to spend time with his grandchildren because they didn't like to do anything he did, and he didn't have the patience for what they wanted to do. Then we discussed my divorce and the daring adventure ahead of me. As he said goodbye with pity hidden behind a kind smile, he assured me that the place I was heading was breathtaking and that I would enjoy every moment of my stay.

I didn't.

The first day was desperate. I craved human connection. I imagined that someone from my past, maybe my high school sweetheart, would magically show up, and we would fall in love as they do in those stupid romantic comedies. Or at least I could have a deep conversation with one of the guests. But nobody showed up. Nobody talked to me. Nobody came to "save" me and make it easier.

I was about to finish my dessert. The melody of "Can't take my eyes off You" filled the warm summer air, which brought me to the brink of tears. At that moment, I made a promise to myself:

The next couple of days, I would focus on the present and everything that this charming place had to offer instead of my mind coming up with hundreds of ideas about why I should feel miserable.

The next day I went for a hike, cursed at mosquitoes in the middle of the forest, had a cereal bar and an apple sitting on a lookout, and held my rhodochrosite pendant under crispy cold spring water.

On the third day, I lied by the pool and watched a stork looking for the frog that skillfully hid between two rocks, had lunch in a nearby restaurant, went for a bike ride, and after dinner, enjoyed a bubble bath sipping a cup of tea.

On the last day, sitting under a hundred-year-old tree, a perfectly written sentence made me wonder about the powerful energy of words.

I realized I didn't need to share the experience with anyone anymore. I didn't want to dilute the essence of that moment by talking to someone. It was just for me.

Make opportunities for yourself to learn to enjoy your own company. Let nature accompany you, delicious food spoil you, and a great book entertain you.

Be present. Don't let your mind take you for a ride of misery fueled by negative thought patterns. Have a wonderful summer!

Have you ever traveled alone? How was your first solo trip? Share your experience in the comments!