McCabe is a marketing professor, author, and podcast host living in San Diego. Visit 5Stepstosolo. com to learn more about the women’s solo and its seven-minute podcast, Dr. Mary Travelbest Guide, on Spotify.
At the end of 2023, I won’t forget it as the year I saw the world in 90 days. This wasn’t my first solo trip. When I was 15, I went to New York alone. Since then, I have visited almost every single continent alone. It seemed like the best time to start over. Now we are empty nests. But my husband didn’t need to leave the U. S. , and I didn’t want to miss the window of access, health, and courage he required. So, on May 7, I left and came back. Over the next 90 days, I learned that the global is small and that we are generally equal. Before returning to the United States, I traveled to the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Israel, Turkey, Italy, England, Ireland. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Iceland.
During that time, I flew on 18 other airlines, transited through 25 airports, and shared accommodation with 70 roommates in 16 hostels, 17 hotels, and six homestays.
One of my missions in this was to build bridges of cultural understanding through nonviolent interactions with other people around the world. To accomplish this, I joined Servas, a non-profit organization that facilitates my stay with host families in five countries. The families graciously opened their homes, allowing me to live a life like them.
One of the most demanding situations I faced was food. Every country I visited had special foods; Not everything suited me, so I had to adapt. I can’t eat very spicy or hot chilies, so in countries like India I had to adapt to what was there so as not to starve. I had a jar of peanut butter in my purse to get protein. Even when the food prep told me “no spices,” there’s a chili spice. Peanut butter, my friend.
Some of my most memorable moments as a traveler have occurred in India. Walking down an alley in Chennai, I saw a woman in a small plywood hut. The room suited him a little, as did the TV he watched. Fahrenheit. Me degrees made me realize how fortunate we are in the United States.
When passing through airports and tourist sites, women are protected from men by steel detectors. During a security check at the Taj Mahal in Agra, my head hit the most sensitive part of the device because it was too high.
After dropping off my hotel near the beach, I planned to take a bus to a recommended museum as Goa’s seasonal cyclones approached. Waiting for the bus on the street corner in the midday humidity tested my patience. I replaced my brain and agreed to travel in a taxi or motorbike to the Goa Museum. He said he knew where he was, but it became clear that wasn’t the case as he prevented others on the streets from asking for directions. After 20 minutes of winding individual roads through secluded and then commercial areas, we arrived and he dropped me off. I was already wondering: how would I get to my next destination in South Goa, as it is off the beaten path?I had started my adventure a month ago and it was just one challenge among many. The museum’s founder, Subodh Kerkar, a doctor-turned-artist, was walking up to me and took me to the bus stop after seeing the art attraction. Four moving buses later, I arrived at my next destination.
Traveling has become more comfortable as I’ve learned more about people. On my last day in India, although I still missed a lot, I was able to begin to understand the culture and appreciate the diversity of the country. I learned that The World was smaller than I had imagined.
I recount an unforeseen adventure in Agra, where I found myself in the midst of making plans for an Indian wedding, a cultural occasion of immense significance. Although I couldn’t attend the wedding due to my schedule, I visited the Taj Mahal and had a 16km high-speed chase to catch the bus back to New Delhi the next day, which added an unexpected thrill to my trip.
The beauty of solo lies in the unpredictability of experiences. In Tel Aviv, Israel, I was greeted by a circle of family members through Servas and had the opportunity to attend a non-violent protest demonstration. Although I didn’t understand the speakers, my presence allowed me to see the community’s commitment to their rights.
I learned that making decisions is probably the best skill when traveling solo. Unless I made a decision, I was not going anywhere. My journey was a testament to the power of decision-making and self-reliance. I discovered that I could do far more than I had initially expected.
Resilience is one of the key learnings from this adventure, a quality that any solo traveler can relate to. The ability to adapt, triumph over challenges, and embrace the unknown is my daily mantra.
The treasure is not in counting the countries or places visited. The treasure is in the stories of other people I met. My travels have been enriched through encounters, proving that the core of any adventure is in human connections.
In Florence, Italy, I met 3 single women in their twenties from the United States who enjoyed the meal I prepared in a downtown hostel in an austere kitchen, with noodles and YetterArray. We shared a bottle of rosé wine and ate while celebrating. Independence Day on July 4. I don’t forget their names, but we create a bond, a pact of peace so that each of us can stand alone with enthusiasm for the unknown. I needed that feeling of encouragement because I had made a mistake by making a misstep that day.
In Siem Reap, Cambodia, I met Ranuk Nuk, the driver of my rented tuk-tuk (a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw), who helped take me to the places I wanted to see. The Cambodian economy is very sluggish and I asked to tell my friends that I would have to drive them when they visited the ancient parks of Siem Reap. During COVID-19, she lived in Thailand and worked in a factory because there was no tourism. I also met a chain-smoker named Jackyl who didn’t have a mobile phone and flew to Bangkok and then to Nepal. In the same hostel I met Heidi, a German woman who was applying for a promotion in line with her education. We stayed at the Chilled Backpacker Hostel with a pool in a shared room. for another 12 people for $3 per night.
In terms of practical advice, I stress the importance of lighting. I carried a minimal backpack of “personal items” that weighed less than 15 pounds or 7 kilograms, which saved me tons of dollars in baggage fees. My vacation is a testament to a budget well done.
When it comes to culinary experiences, I’m not a foodie, but I do have a few favorites. I enjoyed the pizza from Florence at Gusta and the teas and ice creams from Ireland and Scotland. By contrast, Chennai introduced me to the spicier and least fun culinary encounter.
And for the weather, Iceland emerged as a favorite destination with its cool and pleasant climate, a refreshing contrast to the sweltering heat experienced in many other parts of the world.
If you have a goal, break it down into pieces to accomplish it one step at a time. I reward you for the mini-milestones you achieve along the way, a practice I followed with massages during my trip.
As I reflect on my 90-day odyssey, my stories aim to motivate women over 50 to explore, break free from their convenience zone, and embrace the global with courage and curiosity. My adventure is not just a travel journal; It is a testament to the resilience and future of each of us.
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