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NAS: Travel

How do you travel as a single lady?! Any tips or tricks you'd like to share? Do you have anything fun planned for this year?


Multiple times per week when I'm brushing my teeth in the morning I think about how boring my life is, how I never go anywhere. To be honest that is a complete and utter lie. I mean between July 2013 and March 2014, I hung out on four different continents - let along the time I spent traveling around the U.S. to Denver, New York City, Savannah, Orlando, and my parent's place. I'm the girl who bought a plane ticket to Africa and went into the bush all alone. (it's a great story)

Let me type that again - I went to the Congo, alone!

I still can't even believe that I did that - it's the craziest thing ever ... but the most amazing experience of my life.

So my off the cuff tips for traveling alone, they aren't super original, so be prepared to be underwhelmed!
  1. If you want to go somewhere, just do it - buy the ticket! I was thinking of going to see my friend Elisabeth in Denver and was wavering back and forth for weeks. A volunteer in my office told me, "You're single, you have the vacation, you have savings for the ticket - just go. You won't regret going, but you might regret staying home." So if you have vacation & savings - do it! Life is about experience not wealth, not stuff, you'll have the memories of being in those places, visiting with those people, and experiencing the world forever!
  2. If you're going alone, be smart. There's no reason to be afraid, but a heavy level of fear so you are smart is good. Know where your bags are at all times, keep your money in a pouch underneath your clothes (if traveling outside of the states this is a must) or in your pocket, and be aware of your surroundings. Sit near people who look trustworthy. Stay awake in the airport, although I didn't listen to this piece of my own advice. I was so tired in Belgium (and cannot sleep on planes for anything) that I laid down on the floor at the gate and napped on my bag - pillow and blanket and all. There's no reason to avoid traveling (by plane, train, or car) just because you're alone. Being with a group is awesome, but when it's just you, you're more likely to get in to see tight spaces or sneak in the back end of another group.
Heading to Texas at Easter, Georgia for a family reunion in July, maybe the beach sometime in the summer, New York City in September to see my brother and Papa Frank, and next Summer to Poland!

Those are all the tips I can think of and need to get going on my passport renewal application! 

Check out the other ladies over at Morgan's and back to Jen next week for a fun topic that I really don't want to write about! Latin & Me, part 3 on Thursday back here!

Comments

  1. I totally agree that in this day and age especially with the way technology is you shouldn't be afraid to go somewhere alone.

    I have similar feelings of "omg my life is sooo boring!" but then I realize how much traveling I do and change my mind...the day to day just seems boring which is probably similar for all people.

    Hey I'm going to Poland next summer maybe we can meet up ;) but for real that would be pretty funny if we managed that. I'm hoping to go to a papal mass sometime this fall as well just haven't figured out where.

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    1. I'm planning our diocesan trip for WYD in Poland - it would be awesome if we got to see each other!!! I'm planning to go to the papal Mass in NYC, but that's without the knowledge of how to get tickets, where it will be, and even if it is actually happening! If you hear any news on that front, please, please pass it along!

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    2. Yeah we were thinking of going to a papal mass in DC but now we think maybe we'll do NYC since we have family that lives in NY/NJ and maybe they could get us tickets. I guess we'll find out how all that will work as it gets closer.

      That is super cool you are planning your WYD trip! I just signed up with our diocese and the Director of YM/YA is in charge and I'm not sure who else. I know we're staying at a Hilton Hotel though haha

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    3. I went to the last papal Mass, in DC in 2008. I was in the hosting archdiocese at the time. The organizers distributed a specific number of tickets per diocese, and in our case, per parish. I was still a member of my campus ministry at the time, and we got a huge allotment. Our pastor had us write a letter describing our involvement in the parish/ministry, and I got to go!

      If this visit works like the last one, you'll have a path to request a ticket through your diocese. Keep an eye on your diocesan newspaper/website, and let your pastor know you're interested in going. For these kinds of things, you MUST have a ticket because the crowds would be ridiculous, but the tickets are free. (Selling them would be simony.) Hope that helps!

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    4. OOOHHH, good to know - I'm pretty chummy with both my pastor and the director of youth ministry for the diocese!!! I'll be keeping a keen eye out!

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    5. Good to know! My mom works at our parish so hopefully she hears something when it gets closer :)

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  2. hahaha I love how you don't want to write about next week's topic! c'monnnn ;)

    You're so right on just going...I tend to overthink everything and need to be better about just doing spontaneous trips! I definitely regret more things I don't do rather than the chances I do take :)

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    1. I don't want to write about it because it's basically the story of my life!

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  3. The thought of sleeping in public freaks me out. I would be the person who gets attacked and robbed. I know that's less likely to happen in someplace high-traffic like an airport or train station, but this paranoia has kept me going so far!

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    1. Lindsay, I'm usually with you - it's just evidence of how tired I actually was!

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