A few days ago, I thought I would be embarking my next solo adventure.
This time I'd start in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a city I had initially hoped to spend a few days last September before moving on to journey around Croatia. I had planned to hire the same driver that drove me between my overnight stops in Croatia. I had planned to revisit the wineries in Istria, Croatia I visited last September and visit a few more. I planned to stop in Trieste, Italy and ultimately make my way to Venice, a city I still have yet to visit for a few days. It would be 8-9 days of solo exploring before I flew to Sicily for another yoga retreat where I'd reunite with a yoga teacher I had been practicing with via Zoom nearly weekly since last April. I looked forward to catching up on that same beach in Sicily that in my last few days of my first time there in October 2019, my travel plans for 2020 shifted.
It was on that beach that I decided to change my plans of traveling to Croatia in May of 2020 to September to include a new yoga retreat. And it was in that same conversation that I decided to go to Morocco for another yoga retreat in early March 2020. All planned pre-COVID and in the end by pure luck I spent an amazing week in Morocco arriving home a mere week before things shut down here in the U.S. and by pure determination I pulled of a seamless and safe trip to Croatia in September.
Truth be told, I let go of my plans for this April weeks ago when it became apparent that Slovenia and Italy were not ready for tourism and despite being vaccinated borders would not be open. While disappointing, I knew in the back of my mind that that trip was not meant to happen, yet. True to form, following a little bit of research, I came up with a back- up plan pretty quickly that is currently in the "aggressive planning" stages. But, as I began to plan my next solo adventure abroad, I thought back to all the lessons I learned of "COVID-travel" last September.
When I think back to that journey and how I made it happen, four words come to mind. Research. Patience. Flexibility. Determination.
And not necessarily in that order. So, let's break them down.
1. Research. Research. Research. While I had always been one to do a fair amount of research before I took off on any solo journey, COVID travel added a new layer and will continue to do so for a long while. In the months leading up to my trip to Croatia last September, research and keeping up with the regulations as they changed daily was, while stressful at times, probably one of the most important things I did to ensure that trip was successful. Resources like Trip Advisor forums, Facebook groups devoted solely to travel in the place you're wanting to travel to, as well as official websites such as the IATA, Embassy websites for the country you want to visit and COVID landing pages can be a great help. Chances are in your research you'll find others trying to pull off the same trip you are, or locals in the country you want to visit willing to help and keep you up to date with the "real deal" in their country. These resources can feel like gold.
2. Flexibility. For a while travel is going to require a little bit of flexibility and adjustment. You may not be able to go WHEN you want to go or visit ALL the places you want to visit. But, as I often reminded myself, things have a way of working out the way they are supposed to and I knew my trip to Croatia would. And it did. When I started planning my Croatia trip, I had hoped to spend time in Slovenia (to start), and do day trips to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina from Dubrovnik. I wanted to hit as many countries as I could to continue to chase my 50 countries by 50 goal. But none of that happened. Did I regret it? Nope, I ended up planning out a wonderful one-country itinerary and looking back I wouldn't have changed a thing. I might have even regretted not seeing more of Croatia if I had tried to cram in other places. And I wouldn't have had the few "slower" days that I had to just soak it all in. If one thing COVID has taught me, slowing down to just enjoy is priceless. So, be prepared to think outside the box, change your plans a little and you might end up seeing or doing something that becomes a highlight of your trip that you hadn't originally planned. Or go somewhere that wasn't even on your bucket list to start (there's a little tease for my next upcoming trip!). ;)
3. Patience. They say patience is a virtue, right? Generally, I'm a pretty patient, low anxiety person when it comes to travel. Possibly due to the research I've done that leaves me feeling very prepared for whatever comes my way. But I always start off a trip with the mindset that if something goes array, there will be a solution. You just need to take a deep breath and find it. COVID-travel is going to take a little extra patience, but like I said above, we've all learned to slow down a bit so it should come a little easier. And slowing down is NOT a bad thing. You don't need to see EVERYTHING in one trip to a place. Pick a few highlights and take time really get to know a new place and the locals. You'll be glad you did.
4. Determination. This one was a big one for me. Even before COVID, I've always been quite determined once I had an idea in my mind. While I think a little bit of luck played a part in my trip to Croatia last year, particularly regarding the timing, determination was most definitely key. Last April at the start of this pandemic, I had a few friends say to me that there was no way I'd be going to Croatia in September. And I know many others thought I was crazy in the months leading up to the trip thinking I would pull it off. But I'm stubborn, or perhaps determined when faced with a challenge. That determination, combined with a lot of research, flexibility and patience paid off.
And as I plan my next solo adventure to "destination, you'll just have to wait and see," I'm enlisting all four of these attributes once again. But I will tell you the stress is much less this time around.
So, as I reflect on what else I learned from my trip last September, I realized something shifted in me with this trip. While I am still determined to reach my goal of 50 countries by 50 (and all seven continents by then, too), the isolation, the solidarity, the time to reflect; it makes you realize how important connections are with those you’re supposed to meet. Those you meet for reasons you can’t explain other than you know you were supposed to at that time and place because you just were. My time in Croatia allowed me to connect with locals in ways I hadn't slowed down enough to do before when I traveled. It allowed me to connect with a few other solo travelers whose paths I might never crossed if I hadn't been flexible to change up my itinerary on the fly. And, in the case of my yoga retreat, it allowed me to reconnect with those I've been blessed to connect with on previous travels and spend time with others with shared interests. Connections with those I meet while traveling have become just as important as exploring a new place.
“Life isn’t just about the moments. It’s who you share them with.”