Passport Day

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EmilyFoxSeaton

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Tomorrow I am getting a passport. I had one before I went to Germany in my 20s with my family. But I let it expire. But tomorrow my organization is having a sponsored day and they will have reps there and a guy to take photos. 

I am excited but also dreading it. I want the passport (besides the potential need to escape the country) to go to Europe. I want to go on a two week vacation to the UK see all the history and then go to Paris for one day.

But one reason I can't bring myself to travel is that I can't take another solo trip. Just me. Photos of monuments and none of me that people make fun of.  The danger of a change of plans with NO ONE available to help me out. The danger of getting harassed (which did happen to me once).

So I was thinking of doing like a planned trip with other people. Like a tour group. Anyone have any thoughts on that? 

I am also considering pitching this to my SIL and her mom to see if we couldn't all go on a trip together. But usually they say no to anything I suggest.
 
I have the same fear about travelling, that no one will want to go with me. What my worry is that I will plan a trip and get tickets and make arrangements, and then when I try to get someone to join me while paying their share for what I arranged will take advantage of me and I will end up paying for someone else's vacation while I struggle to keep things together just so I don't feel stupid or lonely. I had something similar happen to me before, though not quite on that scale, but to me that's just foreshadowing for what will happen if I ever try travelling abroad. :/

In short, I think that getting a group together is a good idea, just as long as you don't let anyone take advantage of you.
 
wallflower79 said:
In short, I think that getting a group together is a good idea, just as long as you don't let anyone take advantage of you.

I think that there are like "sponsored" travel packages you buy and other strangers do to and you like all stay together as part of the tour. A move that gave me this idea is "my life in ruins". But every one I look at seems to (1) be crazy expensive; and (2) not do exactly what I want to do with accommodations that remind me of National Lampoons European Vacation.  

But the whole thing is paid for with the company and so there is no opportunity for cash to flow on the trip. The service takes care of everything. 

I am also asking if anyone knows of other things that I might not be aware of. 

And if there are people from the UK here.. is it worth it?  I am a massive history buff so I would drool all up and down London.
 
If you have an opportunity to travel, for god's sake, go and don't overthink it. London is amazing and totally worth the trip. I lived there for 2 years and will go back hopefully sooner rather than later.

After I split up from my ex-husband, I looked into travel groups for singles but ultimately didn't book anything. These days, I wouldn't have an issue with just going myself somewhere without a group. You're not tied down to a time schedule that way and there's more freedom to do whatever you wish. It's not that hard to meet friendly people while traveling solo as long as you're smart and you keep your wits about you.
 
I'd would say that if you have the opportunity to travel, you absolutely should. The world is a big place, and the world also doesn't wait for you, what's there today may not be there tomorrow, whether that be because of escalating conflict overseas, or a natural disaster, or monsoon season or because the drive to travel to one place, is replaced with another.

I'd advocate going on your own, it really allows you to do whatever you wanna do, whenever you wanna do it. You don't have to stay somewhere longer than you want to because of your friends, you don't have to go places you don't want to because your friends want to go there (Equally, you potentially miss out on discovering new things because your friends aren't there to take you new places... But adventuring and going outside your comfort zone is a fantastic thing regardless)
You go wherever YOU want to you don't need to compromise with anyone, you don't need to split what places you see and then miss out because you only have so much time, and the BEST part for me, especially because I'm an introvert, it lets me stay in if I want to. If I travel alone, I'm not afraid to burn half a day because I'm feeling exhausted from interacting with people... Or sleep in because I walked 20km the day prior.
Your time is your own, and you can be as productive (or not) as you'd like.

It's actually rather refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling with friends, and the best times I've ever had are when I've been in another country with friends... But there's something pretty special about going on your own.
Of course, there is more danger going anywhere on your own... But in the age of the internet, where we can use our phones and Skype someone immediately for advice, or a change of plans, it's much easier to get in contact with loved ones back home.

If you have the opportunity to travel, I'd say do it. With or without someone, they're the ones who will miss out, not you. Traveling makes you more wordly, cultured, understanding in the goings on of the world, more tolerable towards others...
At least, it did for me.

Then again... I'm a guy so I likely have a different view on traveling than what a girl would. Take it with a grain of salt, but as long as you're smart about it... Traveling alone can be incredibly rewarding.
 
Ignis said:
Then again... I'm a guy so I likely have a different view on traveling than what a girl would. Take it with a grain of salt, but as long as you're smart about it... Traveling alone can be incredibly rewarding.

Yeh. I used to like traveling alone for all the reasons you stated. Personally I LOVED taking photos of monuments without me in them.  But recently when I do that I get a lot of kidding from people and that ruins it for me.  But that would be nothing. 

But last time I took a trip (within america) I took, as I always do, a direct flight, to avoid problems. Due to stupid people I got diverted to another airport. Not only did this ruin my trip and kill a day... I realized that I had been stuck there overnight.. I wouldn't have had a clue. I would have been alone in town I didn't know searching for a hotel. Kind of made me think about all those people that got grounded on 911. You can plan carefully and still have everything go to heck these days. 

Then, I did get harassed. And I am not even hot or anything. That scared me. The person who bugged me was clearly from Europe and so I wonder if Europe would be the place to go alone.  But that said.. I do feel like I so want to do this that I am gonna do it. Just looking to have some insurance against blips.
 
Wow I got my passport today. I cannot believe how fast that was. Literally two weeks from the application to it being in my mail box. Now to plan my vacation.
 

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