How to Make Every Solo Trip Meaningful
What’s the purpose of your visit?
The standard question asked by Immigration when entering a country.
The standard responses tend to be…
✴️ Visiting family…
✴️ A girls weekend…
✴️ Vacation…
✴️ A conference…
You get the picture but I’ve learned over 2 million frequent flyer miles that there really is a deeper purpose to any travel we undertake.
Especially for those of us traveling over 50 solo.
Here’s my rundown on the purpose of my travel in 2024…
5 weeks in Mexico, my purpose was to swim everyday and start writing a book.
I did swim a minimum mile everyday.
On the book front I managed to write 10 pages on my flight to Mexico and that was it.
Lesson learned if you want to write a business book do not go to a fabulous sunny ocean view location it makes you too happy to write that pithy business book.
5 weeks in Thailand at a Wellness Retreat
The purpose at first glance seems obvious… to focus on my physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
The real purpose I found was I was testing myself.
Could I be alone with my thoughts for 5 weeks?
You see four years earlier I had managed to be truly on my own in my own head in the same place for one week.
Check out my blog "A wellness retreat like no other, where tranquility meets transformation":
https://www.raewyncrist.com/blog/b/women-travel-over-50-Wellness-Retreat-Kamalaya
A Coaching Mastermind in Ohio
Another seemingly “no brainer” to spend time with other coaches learning from each other and supporting each other in our businesses.
The reality was so much more.
It was about developing deep individual friendships and connection as a group of women on similar but very different journeys…
Sharing very real and raw experiences and emotions from our past and how to face new experiences in the future.
2 Weeks in the UK
On the surface the main purpose was to attend my nephews wedding.
A dual purpose emerged when I learned I would be able to catch up with my high school Bestie and her hubby as they were traveling to the UK from Australia at the same time.
Oh boy, the real purpose, this was truly a huge one!
Connection and reconnection at a very raw and emotional level.
The laughter and fun traveling with my Bestie and her hubby. We were able to share past experiences of traveling together, we created so many new memories and appreciation for the value of our decades long friendship.
On the wedding side, I was totally blindsided when one of my brothers (father of the groom) and I connected at a much more emotional level…
To the point we would look at each other and start to cry.
On a lighter note read about the "6 Quirks Women Over 50 Traveling To The UK Need To Know":
https://www.raewyncrist.com/blog/b/women_travel_over_50_UK_Quirks
Girls Weekend In New York
Seems pretty obvious by the title and in fact the trip centred around on friends love of theatre so we cram in as many Broadway shows as possible.
But again the true purpose that emerged was “energy”.
The energy of four friends sharing what they had in common but also introducing each other to other sides of our lives…
Like spending several hours at a tucked away in an undisclosed location estate jewellers trying on amazing jewellery and purchasing some to boot.
To connecting with my friend who we had met working together in NY 20 years ago and having the joy of her meeting my Canadian tribe of girlfriends.
Why stop here in this blog I dished on one of my fav cities:
https://www.raewyncrist.com/blog/b/women_travel_over_50_New_York_City_Vibe
Maui with hubby
Escaping the winter seems a likely candidate for the purpose of this current trip.
After all its December and we left a foot or more of snow on the ground.
But Maui is seductive in that it has this habit of bringing out a deep gratitude for life, for just “being” by watching and listening to the waves crash on the rocks below or…
Watch the sky move from blue to vibrant sunsets to picking out the stars in the sky each night…
To spending time with hubby and appreciating each other and our relationship after decades together.
While I did this trip with hubby I wrote in this blog how and what I would do in Maui if I was traveling solo and what a perfect first time solo location it can be:
https://www.raewyncrist.com/blog/b/women-travel-over-50-Maui-Perfect-First-Solo-Trip
So yes, the purpose of your travels matters deeply!!!
So have you really stopped to think about the purpose of that trip you plan on taking?
I know I start with some questions before each trip…
❓“What do I need most in life right now?”
❓“What inspires or excites me?”
❓“Am I craving rest, adventure, or personal growth?”
❓“Do I want to explore the expected or unexpected?”
But equally while I am intentional about having a purpose to each trip I take…
I equally accept that purpose will evolve as I travel.
No matter the purpose of any trip GROWTH is a natural outcome.
You will grow in confidence, a sense of accomplishment, knowledge, independence to name a few.
You can’t help it and that is truly the joy of travel…
Start out with a level of the known or expected but embrace the unexpected!
I guess my point of this blog is that the purpose of your visit as Immigration asks is not about the WHAT…
It’s totally about the FEELING(S) you have when you travel to new or back to familiar places.
Having a PURPOSE gets us out of dream mode and into action to make that trip happen.
Letting that purpose evolve or completely change when we travel lights us up in ways we never imagined and…
Sets us on a path to more travel, more growth, more living our best lives.
So bottom line…
From a weekend retreat to a month-long adventure, any and all travel has a purpose that may sometimes be obvious and other times it needs to reveal itself as you travel.
Do take a bit of time to step back from all the hustle and bustle of planning your trip to reflecting on what you need from that next trip and then go after it with all the intention you can muster.
So what is the purpose of that trip you’ve been dreaming about? I’d love to hear what you have in mind.
Now might be the perfect time to check out this blog on why now couldn't be a better time to not only plan but make that trip a reality.
https://www.raewyncrist.com/blog/b/women-travel-over-50-if-not-now-when
Interested in more, check out my YouTube Channel
If you found this blog valuable head on over to my YouTube channel and take a look, here's the 👉👉👉 link
Female Travelers Over 50 By Raewyn Crist: @FemaleTravelers50Plus
And if you like what you see please consider subscribing to the channel or giving a video a like :-)
So cheers to wheels up to winging your way to your long dreamed of destination.
