Oops I took my first solo trip

solo trip

I spent my night touching thighs with a stranger for 8 hours. 

Now let’s back up. August 16th I took an overnight bus to Cassis, a little coastal town in the south of France to spend my birthday. With a makeshift sleeping mask and blanket, I settled deeper into my seat, very aware of the pair of thighs lightly pressed against me, thankful for the warmth of a stranger. 

I’ve traveled before. A lot I’d say. This trip, however, marked my first ever solo trip. I was excited to celebrate my birthday in a new place with new people. Ready to lose myself in an experience that would quiet my thoughts and stress and bring me back to myself. I spent my birthday surrounded by the blissful company of strangers (you can read about it here!). With new friends and salty air on my newly tanned skin, I explored the town of Cassis. 

The old young person

Who are you going with? That was the most frequently asked question when I told my friends and family about my impending trip. Incredulous faces stared blankly back at me as they registered my reply, “No one”. Many called me brave and commented on my daring and adventurous spirit, claiming it was something they could never do. I started to wonder if maybe I was the weird one, a freak who looked forward to solitude.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve taken trips with friends before and there is much to be said about traveling with buddies. Lifelong memories, inside jokes, and shared experiences bring people closer together, cementing friendships and casting a rose-colored light onto the many taxing aspects of travel. Even as a young person, I feel as though I’ve lived a thousands lifetimes when sitting around a table, recounting stories of surprises in the jungle, treacherous rope bridges, cobble-stoned streets, a tornado of sharks, or of a secret oasis of mango trees with my friends. 

I’m not sure if it was induced by a bit of a dramatic summer or by all of the changes in my life in the past year, but I could not wait to get back to myself. Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are. How limiting. I was excited to redefine myself not by who I was or wasn’t friends with, but by who I truly was. 

Cassis

Completely content, I allowed my feet to wander in Cassis. They took me up winding roads, steeper by the minute, through villas and vineyards. Flashing of azure water poked out from the scenery. A Spanish family here, a Brazilian traveler there, a British couple in the distance. Do you see what life provides you when you allow it to show up? 

I opened my eyes and stared into God’s penthouse. My body felt weightless, lulling with the pull of the ocean. My breath drowned out the distorted, distant sounds of laughter erupting from my new friends. Singular. In. Out. I smiled and closed my eyes again. What an adventure each new person can be. 

How would I describe my first solo trip? Palms, pines, and pain au chocolat. Peace. 

Cassis was not just a new memory for me. It was a confirmation; a newfound confidence in my person, in my sense of adventure, in my ability to connect. As I traveled back to Paris, I settled deeper into my seat, very aware of the pair of thighs lightly pressed against me, thankful for the warmth of a stranger.