I’m done.
This past month-long trip to the U.K. validated what I already knew. I’m burnt out on being a solo International traveler. The reason I ventured way east was for the love of NY Yankee pinstripes. The why of being in London was crazy, (and expensive) but I knew it was my overseas Swansong. A last BIGLY hurrah.
I’m not joking. No mas!
I’m tired of eating in the bar instead of sitting at a proper restaurant table. The reason: A solo senior citizen occupying a table for two is a pitiful sight. The same idea applies to B&Bs. That’s why I eat breakfast early before the couples of the World awake.
I’ve run out of cute answers to the one inevitable question. “Are you traveling alone?” Sometimes my frustration surfaces when I answer, “Do you see anyone sitting next to me?”
I miss the company of a copilot/navigator when I’m driving in a foreign land. I once drove three complete circuits in a Lisbon roundabout before sprinting out of one of the many exits. Luckily I guessed right that time.
I’m no longer making the International connections I used to garner as a younger man. I know I’ve become more introverted with age. That being said, I think the same is true about the rest of the World too. If you don’t believe me, notice how many people wear earbuds/headphones, stare at I Phones, prefer pet connections over people connections and text away instead of talk when in the company of others. There seems to be an uptick of people making an effort to avoid people.
At least I don’t wear earbuds.
The invention of the selfie stick has been a bane to us old fashioned travelers. Everyone wants to post a Facebook photo of themselves with scenic, historic or iconic backgrounds. There’s tour companies who cater to this narcissistic crowd. Those I Phone wielding folks have to sleep and eat somewhere. The days of just showing up in a town and scoring a room are gone. One has to make plans. Traveling has become more complicated and stressful. A missed plane/train/ bus can throw a schedule into a free fall.
I need a break from my international travel agent duties.
Lastly, it comes down to Milton Friedman economics. I’ve been spending oodles of bread, cha-ching, £s, €s and $$$$$ on overseas trips. Once in those jet-lagged lands, I walk all day by myself and eat and drink marginal beers alone. Lately, I haven’t been getting the fun per cost benefit from International tours.
Truthfully, I can travel solo cheaper and easier by just remaining stateside while visiting my favorite western wild places. In between I’ll be at my new base camp townhouse in Durango, Colorado. Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a Home Shopping Network junky.
Does this mean I’ll never need another Passport? Not at all. I’d love to see the fjords of Norway, the Pyrenees of Spain, the Italian Dolomites and the southern Alps of Slovenia. I’d go through all those time zones if I could walk into a restaurant and say, “Table for two. Please!”
I don’t want to hide my aloneness in a foreign bar anymore.
From NYC to Colorado in a few days,
Cheers,
Jeff
Love you brother! Safe travel home!
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