#nyutisch

Dykehood: Madonna and Child

Hey girls,

So this past weekend I went to London on a solo trip. Now, I know what you may be thinking “oh wow. That’s SO brave. A single female? Making her way in a foreign country? With no friends? That’s the way to go. SO brave.”

I feel like many people are stumped by solo travelers, especial female solo travelers. Do they not have any friends? Or are they just too cool for everyone? How do they spend their days? What happens if you get lost? Or robbed? Or, worst of all, lonely?

So I want to put it out there that solo traveling, at least for me, is not a sojourning, life-changing experience. Often times, it is pointless and feels kind of vapid. It can also be frustrating at times to. You always have to make the decision on where to go, if you get lost, you are the one to find your way back, and if you have to go pee at a coffee shop, you have to pack and unpack up all your stuff.

It can be exhausting.

However, it can also be incredibly rewarding as well. You made it to another country. By yourself. That’s sick. And your the one calling the shots. Want to spend an afternoon in your hostel? Go for it. Feeling up for some gelato? Grab a cup. Don’t want to go to a stuffy museum? Don’t have to. You call all the shots.

Ninety-Five percent of my time in London, I’m not going to lie, was sub-par or terrible. It is absolutely not the city, the city is lovely, but it was more I kept on getting lost trying to find the perfect coffee shop and was trying to write a script and get my homework done in an unfamiliar area. On top of that, even though the flight to London is only 30 minutes, it is a pain in the ass. Ubers/metros to the airports, border security, customs, and TSA made it an unpleasant and tedious travel experience especially for a weekend. It was exhausting.

However, that Saturday night after I completed my homework, I went to the Shakespeare’s Globe, which is way I came to London in the first place: to watch a Shakespeare play.

Shakespeare always brings up fond childhood memories for me of preforming his plays. They thought me self-confidence, team-work, and expression. I owe everything to Shakespeare.

Before I saw the play, I asked a theater attendant where good food was. She recommended “Founder’s Tavern” for some fish and chips. The sun was setting, some good ol’ boys from MANchester were ‘complainin’ abou’ ‘ow some bLOKE tried ta punch yA,’ and I gobbled down the fried cob and fries.

I hurried off the the theater and witnessed a beautiful experience that made my entire time worth it. A troupe of women of color preformed a politically charged play about a king. Their voices were articulate and powerful and their costumes were stunning. The Globe is such an intimate theater that it feels like you are right in the action.

So yes, traveling is lonely. You may get robbed and lost. But, it is a thousand times better than not going at all.

You are your own travel buddy. Learn her style. How to work with her. Her likes, dislikes, strengths, and limits. Traveling alone does not mean automatically mean unity.

Take care,

Certificate Official!